Unexpected: Meeting Half Bloods: Book 1 The Lightning Thief
by Death Fury
Summary: A lose sequel to the "Unexpected" series. Peter loses everything and he is ready for his final battle. A bright flash of light surrounds him and he wakes somewhere he has never seen before. Then he pisses off most of the most powerful Deities. But somehow he travels back in time and is able to rewrite history and fix wrongs. Follow Peter as he explores the world of Percy Jackson!AU
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **This is my first official crossover. The reason why I say "** ** _official_** **" is because I have another account under the name "** ** _winner123_** ** _"._** **My friend opened and began, but he had to leave, he asked me to become the author of his stories while he was away. I agreed because I do not like it when people walk away from their own stories never to be seen again or not a word out of them from them for months. I watched all of the Spider Man movies all except the new one that I heard is coming, "Spider Man: Homecoming". I however read most of all the comics and watched most of all the episodes of Spider Man (Peter Parker). I did a little research on Spider Man (Mile Moral).  
However I only watch the movies of "Percy Jackson", so any feed back or PMs would be extremely useful, from the research I did Percy and Peter have similar personalities. As far as the rest? I would like a hand with. **

**This story takes place after my story "** ** _Unexpected: Flashed Back_** **" if you do not want to read it, you do not have to. It is a very loose sequel.**

 **There is one more thing you need to know, I suck on the first chapters, the next chapter should be much better than this one. I hope you continue to the next chapter. This will probably by one of the longest chapters I have in the story. Most of the chapters will be a little over a thousand words. But I prefer writing chapters longer than one thousand two hundred words (1,200).**

 **Here is the full summary:** **Peter loses everything; his wife and his children are murdered all of his friends has either died or betrayed. Peter Parker is alone. Peter is ready for one final battle. Suddenly a bright flash of light surrounds him and he wakes up in a forest. Follow Peter as he makes new friends and enemies. Will Peter ever find it within himself to trust or to love again?**

 **I still suck at summaries!**

 **If you have any ideas or suggestion I would love to hear them!**

 **The story begins…**

 **0**

 **0**

0

Peter had been alone for the last couple of millennia. Ava his wife was brutally raped and murdered. Peter went into a blood rage that no one has seen before or since. There were no witnesses. Peter looked down at the city below him he saw a red and blue flying car that flew right towards him. He did not sense any danger he stood his ground with an unreadable expression on his face. The car stopped and the hatch opened and a girl in ride and blue skin tight suit came out.

Peter gave her a small smile and said "How's my favorite little Spider?"

"You do realize you are not my father you know?" The girl replied.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "I know Petra, but you are part of my legacy. You are doing far better than I did when I was your age." She gave Peter a hug. Peter said "Petra, I think you can let go now. Besides what would your boyfriend think?"

"Aiden knows about you, you know? You helped train us and how many times did you save us?" Petra said with her hands on her hips.

Peter shrugged and said "I lost track. All of the years seem to blend. I remember my childhood, but only as I would a near forgotten dream."

Spider Girl said "You know Peter; you are one of the closet things I have to a father."

Peter smiled a tired smile and said "And you are the closest thing I have to family. Please stay safe."

Spider Girl said "Whatever you say 'Dad'!"

Peter smiled warmly at Petra, she reminded him so much of Victoria, his daughter. She was murdered along with her twin Hunter with their mother Ava Parker formerly Ava Alaya, the White Tiger. Victoria became Spider Girl and Hunter became "Golden Jaguar". He missed them, all of them so much. No matter how many ages pass, the hurt only grows. The pain never seems to fade nor do the memories of old. The only reasons why he is alive now is because he promised Ava on her last breath not to kill himself and to fight the good fight. She tried to make Peter promise to move on, but Peter could not do it. Peter felt unbidden tears fall from his eyes. Peter felt his counter parts beginning to stir.

"Peter?"

Peter was shook out of the trance and said "Sorry Petra, but I was just lost in some thought."

Spider Girl gave him a nod and she jumped back into her flying car and said "See you later!"

Peter said with a shrug "Maybe!" He then jumped off the building head first, he waited till he was only a few feet from the ground before webbing a nearby building. He felt the familiar sensation of web swinging. He did have a suit but he never wore it because it was never needed. It was doubled up as armor, since the murder of his family he was the only one that could even touch it. He lent it to Petra once when she went on a suicide mission to save a White Tiger legacy her boyfriend Aiden the White Tiger.

Peter became a guardian of sorts he faded into the background as he allowed Peter to become a legend of old, time forgot about the ancient world such as the Greek and Romans and even the twentieth century became near legend. Peter wished he could die, but he promised his wife, on her dying wish, for him to live. He was not truly living he knew that, but he could not help it.

Peter forgot his age long ago. Thor and Loki were the same as always. Loki was not as evil as he once was; bit still was mischievous and caused chaos. Thor was still a hammer welding warrior, now King of Asgard. They could relate in the sense of remembering the 'the good 'old times'. Peter was cursed by Loki a few decades before Ava was murdered, he became a wolf. Between Loki, Doctor Strange and his own unique abilities he was changed back into human or near human as he could be. He was already mostly spider by that point having three unique sets of DNA within his own. After being bit by nearly a half dozen 'special' spiders. He had received a healing factor that rivaled; Wolverine, Dead Pool, Laura Kinney Clone and daughter of Wolverine. If not his healing factor was better. Dead Pool was killed by Spider Demon, one of three aspects of Peter, one of the most powerful forms of his., but the good thing is that Spider Demon over the years became less of slaughterer than before, but 'Black Spider' also known as 'Perseus' "Black" 'Bannister'. Black Spider was originally the evil side of Spider Man and Peter, but over time he slowly evolved into a dark version of Peter but not so evil. Cruel? Sometimes.

Peter found himself standing under the light of a full moon. He looked at the moon and sighed remembering all the nights he and Ava would have fun. One time both he and Ava turned into an animal. Ave turned into a White Tiger, Peter would have changed into a spider, but there was still a lingering effect of the curse Loki placed on him turned him to a grey wolf with piercing blue eyes. He was by no means a werewolf, but he was able to change forms at will, and he would still have most of his spider abilities in wolf form, except for webbing.

It was originally part of a curse Loki put on him, but in more recent times he was blessed by Loki, Thor, and Skadi.

Peter would have been a prankster like Loki, but he lost all playfulness and love when Ava and their children died. Peter also died, but his body lied on.

Loki was not "evil" has much as he was a trouble maker and a rebel. Peter use to be similar to that in his own way. Both he and Loki shared more than a few things in common. They would not call each other friends but they knew they had the other's back.

Thor was well Thor, big brother Thor.

However Skadi was a surprise to them all. Skadi was one of the "goddesses" of winter, and of the Hunt as well as other things.

Peter never really was attracted to her, but he was grateful.

Over the many millennia he mastered all of his powers, but he hardly used them. He was very happy for Skadi above all else. Why? Spiders do **NOT** do cold! He is immune to the cold because of Skadi he also is immune to fire due to Loki's blessings not to mention he can manipulate fire and winter, and winter means ice. With Thor's blessing he received he could manipulate the weather, summon storms and cause earthquakes. He is also worth of Thor's hammer, Mjolnir.

Peter, Loki, and Thor made a "one and off switch" for his powers, the magical ones. So even if Peter does get mad he does not cause a storm or an earthquake. Not to mention it hides his powers and abilities from everyone and everything.

Peter could never lie before, but since Loki's blessing and 'training' with Loki he could lie with the best of them. But he hated lying, but he could now lie and act, really well.

Even before he got blessing, before his wife died and shortly after their children were born he and Ava went to K'un - Lun with Danny also "Iron Fist". Peter and Ava trained with some of the best. Ava got it quicker than Peter did, but Peter got. Both he and his wife were invited back anytime. Ava could protect herself even better now.

Now? Everyone has died that Peter knew from his childhood and adulthood. He outlived them all, whether by natural causes or were killed in action. Laura was killed only last year, she was decapitated by Saber Tooth. Where is Saber Tooth now? Dead. Peter killed him to where his healing factor was lost as was his very essence.

Long ago Peter lost his fear to kill. Spider Man killed but only when it was called for, he hated to kill with a passion, but he knows now that killing is not the worst that can happen. Wolverine tried to teach him that, Peter finally got it. He taught the heroes for a few decades. He became a mentor. The Avengers died off, Hawk Eye died of old age. Stark was killed in action. Captain America was killed in action. Hulk was sent in to another planet by the Silver Surfer. Thor only recently faded as did Loki. Black Widow died of old age .Falcon died in action as did War Machine and the Iron Patriot. The New Avengers had their shine but it too died.

He was the only one to survive the battles, which is far worse than dying. He had to live with the memories of the people's dying face. He was often blamed for their deaths, or was. The more Peter looks at it the more he hates his past. He almost wishes he could either forget it or go back in time. He did the latter before and he still outlived everyone.

He would beg for Death's embrace but she would not touch him.

 **(Line Break)**

Peter's 'danger sense' went off, he then used his spider sense to check it out. He snarled and sprinted full speed towards Spider Girl's location. When he got there, there was a male in a skin tight white suit with black strips was one the ground. He stopped about three paces away from them.

Spider Girl was holding a red patch on his stomach. Peter could smell tears and he could smell her pheromones. Peter walked up and said "White Tiger…"

This startled Spider Girl and the dying man. Spider Girl asked "Can you heal him?!"

Peter said "I can try, please move so I can see…"

Spider Girl at first refused but quickly realized that she needed to move to save him. She got out of the way and put White Tiger's head in her lap.

Peter looked at the wound and winced, the bullets has changed a lot since when he began, the wound was burned but did not cauterize. He used his spider sense to probe him the shot was a kill shot, a slow and painful kill shot, but a kill nonetheless. Peter said "This is not pretty. But I can help." Peter grew a stinger that was a foot long at full length, but it was i=only about an inch long, he gently cut the suit off and gave him a prick.

Spider Girl would have yelled, but Peter webbed her mouth shut and said "I only numbed his pain and numbed his body otherwise his would be very painful. Relax!" Peter focused his energy into his hands he felt it go into his hands he webbed the wound with golden webbing. The wound stopped bleeding and slowly began to heal.

Aiden's color came back to his face; Peter unmasked him so he could breathe easier. Peter said calmly "In a little while you will be nearly complete. Now rest." He turned to Spider Girl and said "I charge you Spidey to take care of him." Peter smiled warmly

Spider Girl gave him what would have been a crushing hug to most anyone else, but to Peter it was like a gentle embrace. She had tears of joy streaming down her face. Peter could see the wetness on her mask; he could smell the difference from before and now. He gently returned the embrace.

Peter sensed danger he whispered and said "Petra take Aiden and leave now. I sense danger over you two. I will try to hold them back."

Petra who had no idea how powerful Peter truly was. She shook head and said "I am not leaving you." She said it stubbornly.

Peter said calmly "Petra remember the legends and myths of "Black Spider the Destroyer" and "Spider Demon"? You know I **am** the legend of the first Spider Man. Of this dimension at least. I was one of the founders of the New Avengers and of the Defenders. I teamed up with the original Avengers. I knew Captain America and Thor. I knew Clint Barton also known as Hawk Eye. I knew them all. At first they trained me, then I trained them. I am the "Wanderer" of the multiverse. I am ordering to save yourself and Aiden. You both have my blessing to wed when you come of age."

Petra knew she could not argue with someone who outlived some of the mountains and survived through three more world wars. She sighed and said "Please be careful!" She kissed Peter on the cheek and helped Aiden to his feet and they quickly went towards a man hole. You see since Spider Man was here when Old York was in its full glory he knew the tunnels like the back of his hand, he taught all of the spiders about the underground world. Some loved it under ground, other preferred to say above ground. But all learned it and knew it well.

Peter felt his spider sense go off, but he did not move he felt as though he lived long enough and he wanted to die to be with his wife. He knew the Web of Spiders could and would protect the world and multiverse. He set it up himself and handpicked the most pure hearted people he could find. He checked the web of life and saw one of many plausible futures it ended well in the end. He hated doing that, but he could. He only followed that one thread.

Peter looked down at himself, he was wearing a black leather jacket and a pair of faded blue jeans, he wore a pair of running shoes. He said in a cold voice he could feel Perseus or for a better term " ** _Black Spider_** " taking control. He allowed it, it was time for him to stretch anyway as long as he did not hurt the innocent or smear the memory of Ava and could do pretty much anything. Peter shut his eyes as he felt himself going into his mind.

Black Spider chuckled darkly and said "Come out. I know where you all are!"

Three guys in full body armor came out they had; laser canon, machine guns, energy blades (but not lightsabers), they had a grenade belt. They were loaded.

Black Spider said with coldness seeping into the air around him chilling them to the bone, frost began to form around him and began to spread in a circle ever growing towards the mercenaries. "Who are you and what are you after?!"

The leader stood six foot sex inches; Black Spider was only Six foot three inches. He looked down on him and said "We are after one of the spiders. We caught a tiger already. Now we just caught us the spider."

Black Spider sensed danger, but his spider sense was not triggered, he reacted anyway. He grew his claws and coated them with the most painful of venom; he stabbed the leader in the groin. Making him writhe on the ground in pain. He moved with super human speed and strength, he was only using his spider abilities and his 'training' that he 'barrowed' from Peter. He killed all of them, even the ones that were hidden in the shadows, in all there was about a hundred of them. It took him about thirty minutes to kill them, but he was enjoying himself. He came back to the leader he was in great pain. He snarled and his eyes burned a reddish orange the same color as Anakin Skywalker's eye color when he became the Sith Lord Death Vader.

He picked up the guard with ease he said with venom "Tell me who hired you and I might let you live. "

"They would kill me!"

"You are going to die anyway; I can make this hell for you. Now tell me!" To prove his point Black Spider broke the man's finger and ripped it off. He sealed the wound with acidic webbing.

The man yelled and screamed on the top his lungs as Black Spider broke every bone, one by one. The man said "The man's name was "T-" The man died because of a chip in his head blew up.

Black Spider growled. He gathered up all of the bodies and put them into the sewer and put in a lot of acid to literally make the bodies disappear as well as most of their weapons. He kept one energy blade.

 **(Line Break)**

Perseus gave the control back to Peter. Peter cleaned up his body in disgust. Peter shook his head.

He went to his 'house' it was a rundown joint that would soon be demolished. It was not the fact Peter had no money, because he was in all honesty rich. Stark left everything to Peter. Peter had more than enough money. He kept Stark Industries up to date and often lead in science. The company ran itself for the most apart. Peter took a long hot shower. He scrubbed down. He got out of the shower. He was feeling tired.

He knew he should sleep, but he refused; now his body was going to go strike. He used his spider sense to 'call' Petra. _"Petra, I need a safe place to crash, would your parents mind if I come over?"_

" _Peter?"_

 _"_ _Yes Petra. I am using our spider sense to communicate. Mind if I come over?"_ Peter replied.

Petra replied after a few moments _"They would love to!"_

 _"_ _Okay tell them I will be there in a few."_ Peter said with a tired smile.

Peter chose to take a cab, he usually did not fly, but he just wanted to relax a little. He knew where she lived, he carried her there countless times over the years. She was seventeen almost eighteen years old. Peter made the taxi driver and gave him a few hundred dollar tip. The diver was shell shocked at the large tip. Peter simply left him in the state of shock.

Peter walked up to the door and rung the doorbell, about a minute later a middle aged male opened the door. At first he glared at Peter. Peter rolled his eyes and said "I am Peter, Peter Parker."

The man was six foot tall and was built like a tank, Peter and the man stood eye to eye, but in bulk, it went to Petra's father. The man extended his hand and said "Steve, Steve Parkin"

Peter chuckled and said "Mind if I come in?"

Steve said "No not at all!"

Peter said with a roll of his eyes "You need to relax, I am human just as you are. I need to eat, sleep, drink. Just as you do. Please just call me Peter."

Steve chuckled and said "So you are the "Spider Man"?"

"I use to be. But that man died long ago…" Peter said with a tired sigh.

Petra came rushing down the stairs followed by a limping Aiden.

Petra jumped from one side of the room and into Peter's arm. Peter caught her. She said "Thank you so much!"

Peter asked "For what?"

Petra almost scolded Peter when she said "You Web Head you saved Aiden's life, saved mine!"

Peter shrugged and said "You would have done the same for me or anyone else."

Aiden chuckled and said "He has you there Petra!"

Petra blushed and said quickly "That's beside the point!"

Peter gave a true laugh and shook his head as he ruffled her hair.

Petra's mother came out of the kitchen and Peter could smell the smell of home cooked food, it has been literally years since he had last eaten a morsel of food. With his healing factor he did not need to eat much nor did he need to drink much, but if he wanted to keep his healing factor he needed to take care of his body otherwise he would overdue it. If someone overdoes their healing factor then you can almost lose it. Peter did this because he was ready to be with his wife, but his battle instincts did not allow him to simply stand still and take the fall. He need to move. You could say ever since the first time he was bit by the first spider he got ADHD he could never sit still he had to move. Peter trained and he learned the patients of a spider. He could not move for days on end if needed.

"Yu must be Peter, we heard so much about you, I am Helen, Petra's mother."

Peter gave her a smile and said "Pleasure to meet you." He gave her a small bow of respect.

Helen shot a look to Aiden and said "Someone could take lessons on respect!"

Peter chuckled and said "I am very, very old fashioned. I think I know more than most of the archeologist!"

Aiden smirked and said "Why don't you take a nap **_old_** man!"

Peter said "Aiden, if you reach the age of one hundred, you will look old. I am many, many millennia old. I survived World War Three, Four and Five. I lived through the Secret Avenger War. I was one of the founders of the New Avengers. I set up the Interdimensional Peace Treaty (IPT). I have wandered far and long. I have seen horrors that will make Loki go insane. I can tell you tale of old from firsthand accounts."

The room temperature slowly dropped chilling the room Aiden paled slightly in fear. Peter shut his eyes and calmed down and said "I take this as my leave to leave, maybe I can stop by later…"

Steve chuckled and said "I think you just saved the kid. His pride will be the death of him."

Peter sighed and said "It is in a tiger's nature to be proud. Trust me it is a feline thing to be independent. Yes if he does not rein in his pride he will use up all nine lives and he will run out of luck."

Aiden growled.

Peter growled back he let his single claw slowly unsheathed from his forearm; it was dripping with green venom on its edges.

Petra got between the boys and said "Calm down you two!"

Peter sheathed his claws and said "Sorry, he reminds me of someone. We would butt heads. Believe it or not he had the same name as this one. Both were White Tigers. You see he was a counter part to my wife."

Petra gave a girlish squeal of delight and asked "Where is she?! Can we meet her?!"

Helen looked at Peter excitedly.

But the mood and atmosphere quickly changed there was a thunder storm raging on outside, but that was nothing to the maelstrom within himself. The room slowly was covered in frost, the fire raged, but did not produce enough heat. Peter said coldly "She is long since dead. She and our children were murdered millennia ago."

Peter shut his eyes and lighting crack and the roar of thunder boomed outside. Helen said "Peter, I may not know you well, but from what I hear. You are the definition of a hero!"

Peter said coldly "Have you heard the legends of "Black Spider"? He is real."

Steve shifted uncomfortablely in his chair. Helen stood nervously. Aiden was shaking in both fear and from the cold. . Petra said calmly "Peter please calm down. I know you miss them!" Petra gave Peter a hug

The storm outside stopped its fury, but it was still raining, the room temperature began to rise, the fire calmed down slightly but was burning brightly still.

Peter said awkwardly "I remember why I became a lone wolf again…"

Steve shook his head and said "You are here now."

Helen gave Peter a large piece of steak. She said "We expect you to eat."

Peter cleared his throat and asked politely "Why exactly are you doing this?"

"You still seem like a kid to me. You look like someone who could have been my little brother." Steve said.

Peter chuckled and said "I guess looking like I am twenty; maybe twenty five does not help my cause."

"I know you protected Petra for years. You thought we would not notice, but we did. We thank you for it. But you must be starved!" Helen said.

Peter blushed and rubbed the back of his neck and said "I see her as my daughter. I see so much of myself in her. I can relate to her."

Steve shot a glare at Peter.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Steve, I was a hero very much like her. I see myself in her. I can tell we have far different destiny. I am the original spider themed super hero. I know her habit without having to see them. I can sense all spiders and that include hybrids and crossovers. I trust Aiden enough to know he will give his life for her, problem is, is that Petra would rather die than have her friends hurt. She needs to learn before she gets pregnant to have others help her."

Petra and Aiden both blushed a bright crimson that rivalryed her Spider Girl's red and blue signature suit.

Peter laughed at their expense as did Petra's parents. Peter quickly ate the steak when they were looking, his stomach growled. Everyone looked at him and Peter blushed an even brighter color.

Peter said "I came here for another reason. I need an heir. I have a feeling something big is going to happen."

Steve arched his eyebrow and asked "What do you mean?"

Peter said "Let's sit at the table. One I am hungry still," That earned him a round of laughs, as he continued "The second being this maybe a little shocking." Peter said it neutrally.

 **(Line Break)**

Peter ended the meeting with saying "So I chose Petra as my heir, with your permission of course."

"So you are telling me you own; Stark Industries, Parker Industries and Horizon Labs."

Peter said "I inherited Stark Industries from Tony a very long time ago. I started Parker Industries because I wanted my name for my own children. I worked my way from ground zero at Horizon Labs. Yes I do have money, but it does me no good, I have no need of it. I usually give most of it to charities or donate to a good cause. Who do you think funded for all of those new hospitals, or for new medical technology?"

Steve asked "Do you have any proof?"

Peter chuckled and said "Not on me directly, but I can show the keys to the building." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a key ring with three keys on it. He tossed them to Petra.

Peter gave her a nod and said "Thank you, I can rest assured you will be taken care of."

Petra smiled and kept thanking him over and over again.

Peter chuckled and said to Steve "Steve you gave her the most important thing. You gave her life; you raised up to become who she is. I only guided her in the recent yeas."

Steve said "You are welcomed here anytime."

Peter chuckled and said "As are you to any one of my buildings." He reached into is back pocket he pulled out a holographic debit card he tossed it to Petra, it floated in the air and hovered in her face. Peter said "I already synced up the card to my profits. Please use it responsibly."

Petra and everyone else looked at Peter in shock. Peter shrugged and said "What? If she is my heir then I think I can give her what is rightfully hers. Besides I do not need much." With that Peter shot a web line and web slung away.

The four people in the house were in shock. Petra was now worth over a trillion dollars at least! They met a legend; they spoke of the Old World before the nuclear wars.

Peter was web swinging towards a place where his gut was telling him to go.

Peter could sense danger that he has not sensed in years! It was powerful and eminent. He almost wished he could summon his true suit and his hand made blades he had four two swords and two dagger. " ** _Inferno_** " was a Japanese style sword. The katana had red rubies in the hilt; the blade itself could catch fire and burn through most anything he made it with Vibranium and from his claw / stingers with toxins, venoms and acid still on it. He had another sword but it was not a katana it was a straight blade that was the same length as the other sword, but it had sapphire instead of rubies. This blade was called " ** _Blizzard_** " it was made up of the same things. He had a Japanese style dagger; the tanto was similar to " ** _Inferno"_** it was made up of Vibranium and his claws / stingers and with toxins, venoms, and acid the name of it was " **κόλασηφωτιά** " it is Greek for " ** _Hell Fire_** ". He had a simple straight dagger with blue sapphires; its name was " ** _Frost Bite"_**

Peter was ready for a fight.

Peter could feel the raw power this being possessed. Peter was out of his element, he was at the highest point in the city, the clouds churned below him and the air was beginning to get thin. He was on the tallest building in the word, though it held no name. Peter said in a loud voice that boomed in all direction, it echoed like thunder. "Face me!" Peter bellowed

Lightning flashed and crashed far below him.

Without warning a shock wave of enough power to knock Peter of the building, Peter ripped up the Titanium enforced roof because he was clinging to it using his 'sticking' powers of the spiders. He free fell to the ground, he could sense who or whatever it was, began to follow him. Peter webbed the building and yanked himself down even faster. He was forced to shut his eye doe to the wind stinging his eyes blinding him.

Without warning his spider sense went off, he was barely able to web the building to get himself out of the way of what appeared to be a black lightning bolt. He could feel the power emanating out of the bolt. Peter webbed the building again and this time hung on, he made this line as thick as he could, it was about three inches thick. He hung onto the web line as though his life depended on it. He felt himself jerk to a stop it rattled his bone like being hit with a enraged Hulk. He felt his shoulders dislocate, but at least he would not become a spider pizza on the street bellow.

A shadow flew past Peter when Peter was standing on the building's side. He pooped his arms back into place, they were not healing like they should have, but he healed Aiden, it takes far too much energy to do often, it takes his healing factor and his energy and gives it to the receiver. Peter can also do the reverse of that, he can absorb people's life force and energy, it gives him an energy boost, but if he take more than a second to normal humans they could easily die. Mutants could last thirty seconds and they gave him their powers. Asgardians and other beings of that nature could last much, much longer, for five minutes of constant contact. He never uses this ability because he does not like killing.

Peter began to run down the side of the building, he ran straight down he only slowed down once he was only a few hundred feet from the ground and from there he jumped down, then he ran out of the city, not out of cowardice but out of fear of the innocent getting in harm's way.

Peter stopped when he was outside the city and into the desolate part of the city was the radiation from the last nuclear war never faded, but due to science they put up a dome that could block the radiation.

Peter willed an armor made up of the coldest and hardest ice he could make. He formed a sword made of ice and held his ground. He held the sword in a defensive position. He made a circular shield made up of ice.

The sun seemed to grow dark and the shadows grew longer. He could sense the cold flooding the area and that was not his doing!

A man with long leathery wings but it also had scales, like a crossover between a dragon's wing and a bat's wing. The man stood twenty feet tall he held a spear in his hand and a sheathed sword on his waist. His eyes burned red with hate and malice. He had fangs dripping with venom. The spear was a golden color. He had black armor on that seemed to disappear in the shadows. Peter could sense this was not the only threat here.

In several lightning like flashes there stood seven winged monstrosities each stood at least twenty feet tall. One stood thirty at least thirty feet tall. Peter knew he was screwed, but he was going to go out in one finale battle and take out as many as he plausible could, he knew he would be unable to use most of his 'extra' powers in here, he hoped so would there guys.

Peter wanted to attack right then and there, but Peter does not want to start that could never be won. He is not a stupid kid anymore, though he is still reckless and sometimes mischievous.

The first winged giant said "We have been sent to kill you, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

Peter chuckled and said "Since when have I ever done something the easy way?"

The seven of them crackled in an evil way and said in unison "We were hoping you would say that…"

One of them snapped their fingers and in a flash of blinding there stood Steve, Helen, Aiden and Petra all in shackles.

Peter snarled and said "Release them!"

"Only if you swear to surrender." The shadowy one said with an evil grin on his face.

Peter said "As long as they remain unharmed…"

They began to put Peter in chains, but they must have forgotten that Peter was far faster and stronger than most everyone.

When Peter saw them beginning to give them a fate far worse than death for them was when Peter snapped and went ballistic.

Peter transformed into Spider Demon, he stood roughly twenty feet tall, he had six arms he had all limbs with a claw dripping with venom and acid. He bull rushed the lot of them. Spider Demon moved even faster than those 'monsters' could even blink. He was able to kill four of them before they got out of shock and countered.

Spider Demon crooned at Petra, he gently touched her throat to check a pulse it was still there. He stood protectively over her. His six black beady eyes were full of pure hate and anger, full of rage and malice. He bore down on the winged creatures with fury that has not been seen in thousands of years.

Spider Demon took several blows, but he kept fighting, he was going to protect the ones he loved even if it meant certain death for him.

Spider Demon crumbled to one knee, he looked into the smug, arrogant, overconfident face of the shadowed one. The winged giant said "I am going to chain you and make you watch me have m-" He never got to finish the sentence, Spider Demon stabbed him in the foot with the most toxic of venoms, then he stabbed him in the gut. He should have cut off its head, but he was too worried about Petra nd her family at that moment.

Spider Demon slowly transformed back into Peter. Peter was full of injuries, they could see the blood rushing down his arms and soaking through his shirt. Peter dropped to his knees next to Petra and asked her "Are you alright?"

Petra gave Peter a brave smile, but the fear in her eyes told him everything no she was not ok.

Peter cradled her in his arms and said "I am sorry I should have been more careful."

Petra smacked him and said "This was none of your fault!"

Peter said "Come on, let's get out of here…" Peter unsteadily rose to his feet and he broke their shackles and chains off of them. They all gave him a group hug.

The shadow warrior said darkly "Darkness consumes all!" Then a dark aura fills the air it vaporized all organic matter. The mist touched a blade of dead grass it disappeared in its own shadow. The darkness quickly spread in all direction making a dome stretching out in all direction. It touched Steve he disappeared with a pained expression on his face. Helen was touched and she faded with a face of terror and horror. Aiden was then touched he gave one last look at Petra and said I love you…" His face disappeared with a tear coming out of his right eye. Peter thought they were safe when he collapsed due to injuries and exhaustion.

Petra said to Peter "Peter, promise me you will not kill yourself, promise me you fill try to find love, try to love again."

Peter looked at her in the eyes and said "I promise the first one." He whispered gently.

Petra said "I love you…" She then shot her eyes and stopped breathing. Petra was dead.

Peter did not notice the aura closing in on him. The shadow touched Petra taking her to an eternal slumber. Peter accepted this would be the end of him, he began going down memory lane, it was a loooong lane! But right before the darkness could touch him there was a blinding flash of light, then Peter felt the sensation of falling.

 **(Line Break)**

When Peter stopped falling, he hit the ground, but that did not harm in. He was in the middle of a forest, Peter knew there has not been a forest in America for the past five centuries. He weakly got to his knees and he crawled towards the sound of running water. He saw a small stream. He carefully scooped the water out of the stream with his hands, it was ice cold. It was refreshing. He gently took off his shirt and saw he was covered in scars. There was not one square centimeter that was not a scar. It was as if all of his injuries came back all at once. He was still oozing blood from his most recent fight. He could feel his injuries ache. But the old ones did not hurt at all. He touched one and it was real! But it did not hurt him like that one should have.

Peter was thinking about going into his wolf form, but did not feel like changing, at least not yet.

Peter looked around him he saw a small clearing near the top of the hill. He weakly climbed up the hill and leaned against one of the largest trees he has seen before. He could feel a powerful magic in this area. It was mostly defensive, but it was still there. He looked up at the night sky; he gave a tired sigh as he looked to the moon as he said "At least the moon is full tonight." He shut his eyes to relax; if he could just rest he would heal much faster.

Peter felt something running towards him he could feel the ground's vibration.

He stood to his feet and steeled his muscles for the plausibility of a fight. He watched the horizon with his enhanced eye sight. He saw seven people running towards him, and behind them were some monster mutts (Hell Hounds) and what looked like a Minotaur a human bull hybrid. Peter shuddered at the thought of **HOW** it was made… or what he was taught.

Peter walked towards them; he counted about twelve of the mutts and only one Minotaur. Since he did not know where he was or who was a friend and allies or enemies. But he knew enough to know that monsters were usually a bad thing. He stepped into a shadow behind the tree and waited for the groups of people to run pass him, he waited until the Minotaur was right in front of him. The Peter football tackled him. He grabbed the bull by the horns (Pun intended) then he gave a quick twist snapping its neck with ease. In a bright burst of light and dust the Minotaur was no more.

Peter gave an feral growl that was heard by the Hell Hounds and the group. The hell hound saw him and rushed at him. Peter growled and held his ground. He heard one of the people asking whether or not he was crazy, brave, or plain stupid! Peter rolled out of the way of one. He sensed the movement of them all circling around him. He could always sense when they would lung and he could get out of the way thanks to his spider sense.

He could feel the agitation seething from the monster before him. Peter gave a couple jabs, that was enough to knock out some of its teethes. Peter heard someone yell "CATCH!" Peter caught a sword, it was not his but it was better than his bare hands! HE easily began to attack the pack; one broke from the group and ran towards the kids. Peter moved and jumped in its path. He growled and hell hound eyed him curiously. Peter wasted no more time he hacked off its head. Peter fell to his knees with blood rushing down his sides.

He felt a hand touches his shoulder, he knocked the hand off and held the sword in a defensive stance, he had a wild look in his eyes. A blond headed female with grey eyes said calmly "We mean you no harm. You are injured and you need to get to the infirmary. You are hurt and confused."

"Confused? Yes. Injured? I have had worse. Doctors? No thank you!" Peter said.

Annabeth said crossing her arms and saying "We can't leave like this!" She gestured to his general direction.

Peter handed the sword back to a wild black haired, green eyed boy. Peter gave a sigh of defeat as he was help towards the infirmary.

Peter blacked out once he made it to a bed. He could not feel any danger and his spider sense did not go off, so he knew he was safe for the time being. He knew if he wanted a fighting chance in the near future he better get some strength back.

Peter could hear someone gasp he felt the shirt being taken off him. He knew he was scarred and was injured very badly, almost some mortal wounds. He felt a pair of warm hands touch his skin, he could feel magic but his body refused to accept it. Pete did not know what type it was so he made sure to block it. A bright flash of light could be seen through his eyelids. He could hear another gasp and a few faints.

He felt someone try to pick him up, but he was unable to get under Peter, it was as if the bed was glue to Peter. Peter was just using his sticking powers to make sure no one could move him so easily.

He heard people mumbling then he heard someone say "He stays here. It is obvious that he means no harm. Let him heal before we ask. Try to gain his trust and he may tell you more and more about who he is and where he comes from."

He heard a murmur of agreement then there was silence. Peter fell completely into darkness and into a dreamless, painless night sleep it was the first time in over a millennium.

0

0

 **0**

 **Here was the first chapter, the first chapter is always the worst for me so please stay with this story and watch for the next update.**

 **Please leave a review or PM me if you have any suggestions or questions.**

 **Who should Peter be paired with or should he remain single? I am think about "Percy / Annabeth"**

 **Death Fury out until next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!

Here is the second chapter!

0

0

0

Peter kept his eyes shut when he woke up. He felt a powerful presence in the room with him, though it was nowhere near Thor's or Loki's level of power, but it was strong enough. He made sure his heart beat did not alter its beating pattern and he made sure he breathing was the same. He listened in and heard it was a male. Peter used his spider sense to 'look' through his surrounding he sensed he was in a "magical" place similar to Asgard. The room felt similar to a hospital room. He was talking to someone but he did not sense who. He listened a little harder he heard a females voice.

He heard the female say "Ok Apollo, When do you think he will be able to wake up?"

Apollo sighed and said "I am not sure. He is not healing like he should; my touch has little no effect. He is healing about twice to three times the speed of a normal human. He is stable though he did have a very high fever of 106.2 degrees Fahrenheit. He broke the fever about ten minutes ago. If he wakes up it will be in at least six to eight weeks."

The female said "Thank you, please keep me informed."

"You're welcome. I read his mind and he has been through torture, lost all his friends and loved one, lived on the streets. He is completely alone and he is afraid to get close to anyone. He nearly lost all hope." Apollo said sadly.

The female gave a nod before the Iris Message disappeared.

Peter then realized he was strapped to the table he used a little strength and the bed creaked and groaned. Apollo rushed to his side and Peter felt Apollo's hand on his forehead. He muttered something on Greek. Peter decided to do a prank. A began to mutter in his sleep "No more... No..." The restraints were creaking and groaning in protests. The bed frame was bending and yielding Peter's superior strength.

Peter could feel another presence appear in the room, it just teleported there. It was an eight year old girl or that is what it appeared to be, but by the waves of power coming from her she was far more powerful than this "Apollo".

"Thank you Aunt Hestia for coming, though I did not call you." Apollo said.

Hestia smiled kindly at Apollo and said warmly "I know."

Apollo said "I do not mean to be rude, but why are you here?"

Hestia said kindly "It was a request from Percy, since this man saved his and some of his best friends' life he thought he owed him one."

Peter felt peace and hope. Peter never thought he would feel hope again, at least so strongly. This lady radiated hope and warmth. Peter's muscles loosed up. Peter sensed her come towards him. She placed a hand on his right temple and a hand over his heart. He heard her say some things in Ancient Greek and Peter felt warm flood his body, something he never thought he would eel again ever since Loki's blessing. Loki's blessing made him fire proof so he could no longer feel heat or warmth and ever since Skadi blessing him he never felt cold or cool. It took him a long time to get use to feeling "numb" but if he focused he could feel.

Hestia's hand glowed and soon Peter began to heal, though scars would remain. Deep scars. Pete groaned and slowly opened his eyes in the warm soft eyes of Hestia were the first thing he saw. Peter forgot that h=was restraint and asked "Where am I?"

Apollo said proudly "In my temple."

Peter realized again he was restrained he weakly tried to break through his restraints. If he tried he could easily break out. He felt most of his strength come back into his body and something that he never thought he would have again... hope... Peter felt hope again.

Hestia snapped her fingers and the restraints disappeared. Peter calmed down almost immediately. Hestia said calmly "Peter, you are safe here. I will not let any harm come to you. I swear on the Styx River." Then a roll of thunder could be heard.

Peter knew something happened, but he could not remember all of the Greek and Roman mythology. He was more adopt to Norse mythology due to being around Thor, Loki, Odin and the rest. Peter asked politely "Lady Hestia, please forgive my ignorance, but you will have to explain a few things..."

Hestia smiled kindly and said "It's ok."

Peter gave her a warm smile and asked "Since I have a feeling I will be here for a while, mind bringing me a few books, some history books so I can get caught up on history, true history."

Apollo asked "Are a son of Athena?"

Peter arched an eyebrow and asked "The goddess of wisdom? I am pretty sure I am not..."

Apollo asked "Who were your parents?"

Peter sighed and said "Richard and Mary Parker. They were murdered in a plane crush when I was about five years old. I lived with my Aunt and Uncle. My Uncle Ben was murdered before my eyes; a thief shut him in the gut when I was only about twelve. I held his hand as he died. I lived with only my aunt May. I spent almost of my time with either my aunt or my girlfriend's place. My girlfriend's father died when I was about fourteen. My girlfriend was murdered when I was sixteen. My aunt was murdered about two years later."

Hestia gave Peter a hug of comfort. Apollo was speechless; this could have been through more than he thought. He read his mind, but apparently not very deep! Peter asked "Can you two please keep what I say between the three of us?"

Hestia said "Yes I can."

Apollo said "I can as will."

Both of them swore to the River Styx to secrecy of Peter's true origin.

Peter told them everything, from his rough childhood (or loach thereof) to losing his friends. To getting married, to her and his entire family murder to being alone for who knows how long, to watching his recently adopted daughter's death to finally entering here."

Hestia's heart was moved she asked "Peter, can I adopt you?"

Peter was taken back at the question and was thunderstruck. He said after think about it for a minute "I would be delighted Lady Hestia."

Hestia smiled warmly and chanted in Ancient Greek; Peter felt a bond form between him and Hestia. Hestia said kindly to him "Please call me either Hestia or Mom. I do not care for formalities."

Peter smiled gratefully and said "Thank you Mom." Peter grimaced it did not sound normal to him, he barely remembers his parents, he never called anybody "Mom" or "Mother" before so it was awkward, really awkward for Peter. Peter said with a sigh "Sorry Hestia but say mom is a little awkward for me. I never called anyone "Mom" or "Mother" before." Peter gave her an apologetic smile.

Hestia said warmly "I understand, maybe one day..."

Peter smiled and said "Maybe one day... One day..."

When Hestia adopted Peter she gave him her full blessing, control over fire, healing fires, teleporting by fire, summoning food, plus a few other cool stuff. Hestia did not tell Peter this, she asked Peter "If you could Peter, which would you chose to heal-"

Peter cut her off "I would chose to heal, I do not care for myself, but if I could heal others that would be best." He realized he just cut of his new "Mother" He said quickly "Sorry..."

Hestia smiled and said "I was hoping you would choose that."

Peter asked confused "You mean you're not mad at me for cutting you off?"

Hestia chuckled warmly and said "No. I am proud of you."

Peter did not tell them about Thor, Loki, or Skadi well any of the Norse Deities. He numbly nodded.

Hestia said "You will no longer be burned by fire, you can control fire, and you can heal others. And you can summon home cooked meals."

Peter was shocked and asked "Why? I mean I truly am grateful, but I do not need all of that. All I really want is to heal others. I do not care if I burn slowly to death if I can save one person!"

Hestia did not need Apollo to tell her that Peter was being sincere she was glad she chose Peter as her only "son" and her first "champion".

Apollo asked "Do you know how much pain being burned feels?"

Peter growled and gestured to a old burn scar "Yes I am acquainted with being burned and torture."

Apollo held his hands up in surrender and said "No need to get defensive it was only a question bro!"

Peter rolled his eyes and sighed. He take a few seconds before saying "I am sorry Apollo, you question was legit, I should not have snapped at you like that, my apologies."

Apollo gave a nod and said "No problem bro."

Peter arched an eye brow and asked "If Hestia is your aunt, would that not make me you cousin?"

Apollo shrugged and said "If you want me to say "cuz"."

Peter sighed and said "I prefer my name. I suppose I like bro better but cuz would make more sense. Either one works."

Apollo thought about for a second and said "Cuz works because I have A LOT of cousins!"

Peter sighed and muttered "You have even more children."

Hestia heard Peter and stifled a giggle.

Peter asked "Can I leave no or...?"

Apollo said "You may leave."

Peter asked "Could I actually get some clothes?"

Hestia snapped her fingers and Peter was wearing a long sleeved black shirt with a light blue button up undershirt. He wore thick navy blue jeans. He had a pair of Nikes. Peter smiled gratefully and asked "Could I please get a hoodie, a black hoodie, zip up?"

Hestia smiled and snapped her fingers and a hoodie appeared on Peter. Peter gave her a hug and thanked her.

Apollo said "That fits you."

Peter growled in annoyance.

Apollo said "Let me rephrase that. I like that style, you match your personality. You look fine in it."

Peter rolled his eyes and said "I would not care if I was ugly in this; it covers me and would keep me warm."

Hestia said "Actually you will never become could again; the hearth will keep you warm."

Peter smiled and said "Thank you."

His adopted mother gave him a kiss on the forehead, this made Peter blush.

Apollo said "I can take you to Camp Half Blood now if you like."

Peter said with a a smile "anything to get out of this blinding gold room!"

Apollo said in mock offence "I love my temple! It is so shiny!"

Peter shook his head and chuckled.

Hestia said to Peter "If you ever need anyone to talk to I will always be at the hearth."

Peter chuckled and said "I am a wanderer, I hope you do campfires."

Hestia smiled and said placing a hand on Peter's heart "Home is where the heart is."

Peter chuckled and placed a hand over Hestia's hand and said warmly "Family is not blood, it is bond."

Hestia smiled and gave Peter a nod.

Apollo said "Time's ticking."

Peter gave a kiss to Hestia's cheek and walked over to Apollo and from there Apollo flashed them to Camp Half Blood.

(Line Break)

Peter was teleported to just outside the border of the camp. Peter grew a claw that was a foot long and he put it up his sleeve to hide the 'blade'. He may or may have forgotten to mention to Hestia and to Apollo about being Spider Man with all of these 'extra' powers. Apollo was shocked that the comic and the movies were actually semi true. Peter was sure to pick up a comic or two to see what all the hype was about.

About five minutes later Peter saw the large pine tree and Peter boldly walked forward though not with arrogance he walked knowing he did not sense any danger. Peter made it to the tree once he made it to the top of the ridge he looked down and saw several dozen cabins. It was about noon. He listened in and heard distant bow and arrows, he heard laughter and he heard people shouting some in joy others in anger.

Peter felt power once he neared and passed to pine tree. It felt like a force field, but it allowed him to pass. Peter muttered "Ok, so I guess I go to the camp director..." Peter walked down the hill and walked into the outskirts of the camp.

Peter was meted by a centaur Peter arched en eyebrow and muttered "That's something you don't see every day!"

"My name is Chiron." The centaur said.

Peter sighed extending his hand "Peter, Peter Parker."

Chiron asked "Do you know who your godly parent is?"

Peter replied and said "No sir."

Chiron asked "Are you sure?"

Peter growled and said "Yes I am. I had rather a rough night."

Chiron sighed and said "I could send you to the Hermes' cabin for now,"

Peter said "I think I would rather sleep under the open sky."

Chiron said "That is not allowed." Chiron saw a look of defiance in Peter's eyes and knew that he was very much like Percy Jackson his favorite student.

Peter asked "So what is there to do for fun around here?"

Chiron was about to say something when a blond headed girl with grey stormy eyes came up to them.

Chiron said "Ah Annabeth, just the person I wanted to see! Would you please show Peter around?

Annabeth looked at Peter and exclaimed "YOU?!"

Peter smiled sheepishly and said nervously "Pleasure to meet you again." He said with a slight bow of respect. This did not go unseen by a twelve year old girl with silver eyes.

Annabeth asked "Would you like for me to show you around."

Peter smiled warmly and said "Yes please..."

Annabeth said "What would you like to see first?"

Peter smirked and said "I would to spar."

Annabeth said "I thought you were injured."

Peter replied and said "Yes but Apollo and Hestia healed me."

Annabeth gave a nod and said "Ok, Let me take you to the arena."

(Line Break)

(Time Skip: Ten Minutes Later...)

Annabeth kept asking Peter questions about, where he is from, what is a heritage, how old he is, what unique ability he had, etc...

Peter and Annabeth finally arrived at the arena Peter asked "So do you guys have other weapons?"

Annabeth said "Look in the barrel that is where we keep the extra weapons."

Peter walked over to the barrel and looked through it, but al the weapons were slightly off, none of them fit him. He picked up spears, knives, daggers, short swords, double edged swords, and just about every other weapon none of them he liked, he hoped his claws could block their weapons, otherwise he would have to fight like he use to but without the webbing.

A boy who was heavily built with blond hair and electric blue eyes said to Peter "You're the new kid?"

Peter sensed arrogance coming from him. Peter growled and asked "Yes, what's it to you punk."

The boy said "I am Max, son of Zeus!"

Peter growled and said "Take your sword and shove it where the sun don't shine." Peter turned his back and began walking away.

Max lifted his sword and went to stab Peter in the back.

Everyone was frozen in place unable to do anything. Max went to cut off Peter's head, Peter's spider sense went off. He dropped flat to the ground. Max was expecting to just behead him so he was swinging full strength so when he missed he was brought completely out of balance. Peter kicked Max in the knee making him drop to the ground. Peter did a hand spring and landed on his feet. Peter snarled and said "You want to fight? Come one face me or are you a coward you can only fight when a man's back is turned?!"

Max groaned in pain he stood up and growled "You are going to pay for that!"

Peter chuckled and said "I highly doubt that kid."

Max lifted his sword in the air and lighting struck it. He then extended his sword in Peter's direction and shot a large bolt of lightning at Peter. Peter moved with near superhuman speed and dodged the bolt. Peter growled and said "Sure, use lightning to keep me at bay. You are the man aren't you?"

Max shot another and another bolt but Peter easily dodged them.

Max growled in rage and he shot a rouge bolt, it would have hit a girl if not for Peter getting between the bolt and the girl.

The girl's name was Piper, daughter of Aphrodite, though she was not like her siblings. She quickly knelt down next to Peter. When she got there Peter rolled onto his belly and stood up, his blue eye were now burning cold. Peter asked her "You ok?"

Piper nodded her head.

Peter gave her a nod and said "You best get out of here."

Piper shook her head.

Peter sighed and said "I do not want anyone to get hurt."

Piper nodded her head and she quickly left the arena.

Peter snarled in rage once everyone but Max left he yelled out Max "You think you're all that? You nearly killed an innocent girl! You were fight me!"

Max smirked and said "I hit you did I not?"

Peter growled and said "You are tempting Fate."

Max said "I am the most powerful Demigod that has ever lived!"

Peter chuckled darkly and coldly and said "Pride comes before the fall."

Max charged Peter with his sword buzzing with electricity. He kept stabbing and slashing, but Peter dodged with ease. Peter stomped on his foot shattering every bone in his foot. Max bellowed in pain Peter took this to knee him in the groin with enough force to crack his pelvis. Max was barely conscious. Peter took his sword hand and broke it. Max yelled in pain his right forearm was bet at nearly a ninety degree angle. You could see the bulge of the bone, but it did not break through the skin.

Peter lifted him up by his neck and whispered coldly "Mess with me or girls again I am going to kill you nice and slow. The most painful way I know. No one will ever find your body when I am done with you."

Max spit in Peter's face. Peter just head butted him and gave him a concussion and a fractured skull.

Peter dropped him roughly and looked around and saw nearly the whole camp looking at him, Peter said "We could use a doctor."

That snapped everyone out of the trance.

Within a few minutes they brought Max into the infirmary where Will stabilized him. Will did not like Max at all. But he is the best 'healer' there so he had to help.

Peter slumped against the arena's wall farthest away from the door. He said to himself "I need to get a weapon, or I need to..." Peter sighed. Peter was immune to electricity due to Thor's blessing.

Piper came into the arena with another male that had blond hair electric blue eyes, but he was taller and was lean, lean muscles.

The boy said "So you are the one that my girlfriend has told me about?"

Peter raised his hands in surrender and said "I did not do anything."

The blond shook his head and said "I am Jason son of Jupiter, pleasure to meet you." He extended his hand.

Peter shook his hand and said "Peter, Peter Parker."

Jason helped Peter stand. Peter said "You know Jason, your brother is lucky I did not kill him."

Jason snorted and said "I would be glad if you kill him!"

"Then why haven't you?" Peter asked.

"He is family." Jason said as if it was the most obvious thing.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "You know Jason family is not always blood. Family is bond."

Jason paused and said slowly nodding his head in agreement "That is true."

Peter said "You do realize I can walk right?"

Jason rolled his eyes and said "That was a large bolt of lightning, you're lucky you even survived!"

Peter chuckled and shook his head.

Piper piped up and said "Thank you Peter."

Peter smiled warmly and said "I was only doing what was right, anybody would have done that." Peter said shrugging off the complement.

Jason rolled his eyes and said muttered "We have another Percy."

Peter arched an eyebrow and asked "Percy? Who is Percy?"

Jason sighed and said "Someone who is too humble for their own good."

Peter said "Better be too humble than too proud. Pride comes before destruction."

Jason shook his head and said "We have a proverbial quoting Percy, just what we needed!"

Piper giggled at her boyfriend's antics.

Peter's stomach growled getting their attention.

Jason chuckled and said "It is about diner time anyway,"

Peter rolled his eyes and blushed. He looked down and saw his clothes had burnt all the way through to his skin. Luckily neither Jason nor Piper noticed this. Peter asked them to tell him about some history so he knew who some people were and who they were and how they met. They told him a long tale. They finished just in time for diner.

Peter would have rather not eat then to have to go with the crowd.

Piper saw Annabeth and Percy and she dragged Jason along. Peter chuckled and he slipped away. The stars began coming out, he grabbed a plate of food and walked out. He made a small little campfire. He ate a little and threw some food in the fire. He said "To Hestia thank you for adopting me." He threw another piece in and said "To Apollo, thank you for healing me and welcoming me with open arms." He threw another portion of food into the fire and said "To Artemis goddess of the Hunt." He did not say anything, we were just giving thanks because he is a hunter and he respects that it is her domain. That and he did a little research on her she was one of the few gods and goddesses who actually did a good job in their domain. He threw one last bit of food and said "Thank you Khione." Peter thanked her because she was winter. Skadi was the Norse goddess of winter and the Hunt.

Peter watched as the large crowd made their way toward the large campfire. He when sensed someone coming. Out of the fire stepped Lady Hestia. Peter quickly bowed, forgetting she did not wish for him to do so. Hestia said to Peter with slight scornfulness of a mother "What did I tell you about bowing to me Peter?"

Peter chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his neck and said "To not to, sorry Mom, it is a habit to show respect to those who earned it."

Hestia smiled kindly in her eight year old form and said "Why don't you join the others?"

Peter chuckled and said "I am not much for crowds, besides I can see most everyone from here."

Hestia said to Peter "Peter, please go and at least try to make some friends."

Peter gave a low growl and said "All my friends die!"

Hestia smiled sadly at Peter and said "I know, but please, for me?"

Peter sighed in defeat and said "Ok fine! Just don't expect me to be Mr. Nice Guy or Mr. Joyful."

Hestia gentle shook her head and fire traveled back from where she was before leaving Peter alone; when Hestia left she took the fire with her. Peter sighed and he began to walk towards the group from the shadows. He moved without making a sound. He noticed there were several groups mostly divided by siblings, but there were a few mismatches and more than a few group couples. Peter stalked from the shadows watching, searching for a place where he thought he would fit in the best. Peter noticed Annabeth, Jason, and Piper with a few more friends. Peter shrugged and muttered "What do I got to lose?" With that he stealthily made his towards them.

Little did Peter know that a silver eyed girl noticed his stealth and was slightly impressed at his stealth, it rivaled the best huntresses and nymphs. Peter had gotten her attention from the moment he arrived last night and earlier today when he took a bolt of lightning for a girl he did not even know. Such selflessness was rare, Peter reminded this girl of Perseus Jackson. She was going to watch this boy to see if it is all a front.

Peter made his way toward the rather large group. When Piper noticed him first she exclaimed "Peter!"

Peter flinched at the sudden shout. He gave a sheepish smile and said while rubbing the back of his neck "Yes miss."

Jason gave Peter a nod of acknowledgement. Peter return the nod.

Peter felt awkward and was about to leave when Annabeth said "Why don't you stick around for a while?"

Peter chuckled at the unknown pun. Peter said "Not if it makes things awkward."

The boy with sea green eyes and wild black hair stood up and extended his hand and said with a warm smile "Percy, Percy Jackson.'"

Peter took his hand and said "Peter, Peter Parker."

Percy said "I see you know Jason, Piper and my girlfriend Annabeth."

Peter gave him a nod and asked "Who is everyone else?"

Percy said gesturing from his left "Thalia Grace Jason's sister."

Peter gave her a slight bow and shook her hand.

Percy gestured to the next person to Thalia left "This is Nico, and his sister Bianca, and half sister Hazel all children of Hades and Pluto."

Peter gave a nod to and shook hands with Nico and bowed just slightly to the girls and shook their hands.

Percy said "And this is Reyna"

Peter gave her a slight deeper bow sensing more authority coming from her.

Jason asked "Is there a reason for not respecting Nico, Percy and I?"

Peter chuckled and said "I am respecting you; otherwise I would have ignored you. I show more respect to the ladies, they have done less harms to me than has men."

Jason arched an eyebrow and asked "What does that mean?"

Peter said coldly with slight malice in his voice though it was not directed towards them "Beaten, betrayed, tortured all mostly by males."

There was tension in the air, no one dared to move. Peter sighed and said shaking his head "It's all in the past..."

Jason rubbed the back of his neck "Sorry I asked..."

"No problem." Peter replied with a small smile and there was a just barely an ember of hope kindled in his eyes.

A girl said proudly "I am Clarisse daughter of Ares."

Peter gave a very slight bow to her, he still held a grudge about losing some friends during a war. But he still smiled and said "pleasure to meet you."

Soon the rest of the people were introduced; Jason, Leo, Piper, Percy, Annabeth, Hazel, Clarisse, Nico, Bianca, Reyna, Thalia and Frank, and a few others. Peter began regretting showing himself, he would have much rather been on the outside looking in.

Annabeth and Percy told their story and how they each met. Peter listened intently, but stayed quiet. Finally Annabeth said "And that is how I met."

Peter chuckled and said "That was rather a long tale."

Percy muttered "Tell me about!"

Peter laughed and said "At least your lives are not boring!"

Percy had to chuckle and said "You got that right! But sometimes I wish I could just have some peace."

Peter smiled empathically knowing what he meant and said "Trust me I know what you mean. You hope to catch a break, but fate has other ideas. Just when you get relaxed Fate messes with you. Trust me Percy; my luck is just as bad as yours..."

Percy looked into Peter's eyes and saw great pain; he knew then that Peter was more broken than he let in on. Percy extended his hand and said "Thank you."

Peter shook his hand and said "You're welcome. Percy you will never be alone. You are surrounded by friends, true friends. You have a family. Never given in without a fight, never bow and never yield."

Percy chuckled and said "Trust me the sea does not like to be contained."

Peter smirked then said "Sometimes, when you cage the beast, the beast gets angry."

Will sensed that there was truth in that statement that it was a joke, but he kept the thought to himself.

Peter said looking up at the night sky "It is getting late. I think it would be best if we go ahead and go to bed."

Annabeth asked "Where is your cabin?"

Peter said with a shrug "Either Hermes' Cabin or under the night sky."

Percy growled and said "The gods swore an oath to claim their children by the age of twelve at the very latest!"

Peter placed a hand on Percy's shoulder and said "Relax, I do not think I am truly a demigod. I am sure things will reveal themselves in due time."

Percy still was not happy but said "You are right."

Peter asked "Would you guys have any books that I can read? History preferably so I can get an idea of what's going on."

Annabeth's face lit up and said "Yes we do, actually I do. It is nice to see someone who is actually willing to read." She shot a look at Percy who was not lost in his own thoughts.

Peter chuckled and said "Knowledge is power, and sometimes even might and strength must bow to wisdom."

Annabeth said "Finally someone who acknowledges wisdom and knowledge as power! Are you sure you are not my brother?"

Peter rolled his eyes and sighed then said "I am not sure of anything anymore."

Annabeth asked "Would you mind sleeping in Athena's cabin?"

Peter said trying not to be rude "Annabeth, I would not be very comfortable. You and Percy seem like a good couple, you two complete each other, brains and brawns, pride and humility. I will not come between you two."

Percy placed a hand on Peter shoulder and said "For that very reason is why I know I can trust you. Besides I trust Annabeth with my life."

Peter said "Percy, you just met me, how do you know I will not betray you? How do you know I am not a spy?"

Percy opened his mouth to speak but Peter cut him off and said "You do not. I could be a great friend or one of your worst enemies. I am not saying this to boast, but to remind you where you put your trust, to remind you where your loyalties lie." Without saying another word Peter walked into the darkness just outside the light of the campfire leaving the group of heroes in a state of shock. A certain auburn haired girl with silver eyes heard and saw the whole thing. She saw how Peter always respected the girls and was very careful not to hurt anyone. But when he said that he could be an enemy and a spy she knew he was lying but she knew why he did it, he did it because he wanted them to be careful where they put their trust in. She hated to admit it, but she was getting more and more interested with Peter and she wanted to find out more about him.

Soon everyone went into their perspective cabins except for Reyna who bunked with Clarisse because they bother were daughters of a god (or goddess) of war. Thalia went to Artemis's cabin because she was a hunter. Percy went to his own cabin that was Poseidon's cabin. Everyone had a cabin but Peter, not that Peter cared. He would much rather rest in the fresh air of the night. Besides he has not been to New York in a very, very long time. Besides this is a different New York, from all the others. This New York should not have Avenger Tower, Stark Tower, Oscorps, or any other building.

Peter walked into the woods and his spider sense was giving him a dull throb letting him know he was being watched, but it was not sharp so he knew he was not in any "true" danger. He checked his danger sense and he felt plausible danger, but nothing too big. Peter sighed and chose not to go to New York, at least not tonight.

Peter instead chose to go ahead and sleep in the woods, he could sense someone follow him, but who or whatever it was, was extremely light on their feet and was like a ghost barely making a noise. Peter walked behind a tree and he then disappeared by using his color changing ability. He then used his super human speed to run and a few hundred yards in only a second or two. Once he was for sure out of sight he made a web hammock and made a small fire and waited.

(Line Break)

(Time Skip: Five Minutes Later)

Peter was cooking some fresh rabbit over the fire with wild edibles. He was stoking the fire with a stick; the stick was more like a shepherd's staff. It was about six feet long, an inch and a half thick on one end and on the other it had a curve and a knot (It basically looked like Jack Frost's staff from "Rise of the Guardians") Peter felt the presence stop just outside his 'campsite'

Peter said without turning around "I know you are there."

The presence stayed just outside the clearing waiting, unsure if he was bluffing or not, either way the presence did not want to reveal itself, not yet at least.

Peter sighed and said "You have my word, I will not attack nor will I harm you so long you do not provoke me."

The presence walked into the light.

Peter stood to his feet and gave a slight bow then he asked "Who are you little one?"

The presence was a twelve year old girl with silver eyes and auburn air or that is what it looked like. The girl said "My name is Diana."

Peter said "My name is Peter."

After waiting a second or two Peter gestured to his campfire and to almost cooked rabbit and asked "Would you like some? I have more than enough food."

Diana paused unsure of what to do.

Peter said "I promise I will not try anything. Where are you parents? And why are you here?"

Diana did not reply.

Peter smiled warmly and said coaxingly "Please come to the fire, we do not want you to get cold. Besides it is dark out that is when strange things happen in these woods when it is dark out."

Diana begrudgingly stepped towards the fire and she sat across from the fire. Peter gave her a plate and a small bowl and said "Here you go Diana; my rabbit is not quite done yet. The stew should be ready in a few minutes."

Diana asked "Why are you being like this?"

Peter asked "What do you mean?"

Diana replied and said "You seem so kind to a stranger."

Peter chuckled and said "All I see is a little girl lost in the woods. I see Petra, someone who I would consider my little sister. I will not allow anything to harm you as long as I can fight."

Diana asked "Where is Petra now?"

Peter sighed and said slightly depressed "She recently was killed as of about three days ago."

Diana was shocked, she now knew that Peter had a pure heart and would not ever harm a maiden.

Peter grabbed the stick over the fire and pulled the rabbit off. Peter took the small pot off of the fire to let it cool down. Peter noticed Diana was not eating Peter sighed and asked "Sorry if I took your appetite. I loved my sister, she was more of a daughter to me than anything else. We were not even related, but we shared more things than we did not. She had brown hair and blue eyes, she stood five foot six inches and had a gymnast build. She was very kind and caring, though she dated someone I wish she would not have. But he was a kid kid, but I would have rather send her somewhere where she would be safe."

Diana was speechless.

Peter and Diana ate in awkward silence. After eating Peter tossed some food into the fire and muttered "To Hestia, and to Artemis."

Diana felt a surge of strength.

Peter said "I have a hammock over there, I will do the dishes and probably go out on patrol. Then in the morning I can lead you to camp."

Diana said "I have to leave..."

Peter said with a sigh "I can't let you go alone, it is too risky."

Diana had to admire Peter for caring about a stranger, but she needed to get on the moon chariot. Diana said "Peter please trust me."

Peter looked at her in the eyes he looked down and sighed then said "As you wish. Please be safe."

Diana said with a smirk "No promises." Then Diana stepped into the woods a few moments later the was a flash of light. Peter rushed to the area and saw there was nothing wrong, but the problem was just that. There were no signs of Diana. Little did Peter know that Diana was in fact Artemis.

Peter looked for her for several minutes before concluding that Diana was not just a normal girl.

(Line Break: The Next Morning)

The next morning Peter walked into camp through the back side to avoid the front. He walked carefully to avoid people. Though he did talk to a few nymphs and they were kind and nice to him. He actually got along well with most of the nymphs.

Peter made his way to Mess Hall where the food was going to be served he could smell the food from literally a mile away due to his super human sense of smell. He made his way into the Mess Hall he lowered his hood to hide his face and he was careful to make sure his skin tone matched that of the shirt so that people would not noticed the huge hole.

Peter was walking away when he felt his spider sense go off, he stopped turned around and caught a girl who slipped on some sort of oil. He caught her with one arm then he used his other to catch her toast, eggs, bacon and a cup of orange juice, without spilling a single drop. Peter muttered "That was close." Peter let her go once she was steady on her feet. He quickly left the mess hall with a egg and bacon sandwich with American Cheese. He did not want any attention, but he could not help but to help someone.

The Mess Hall was in complete silence after witnessing Peter's lightning quick reflexes. Percy finally spoke up breaking some of the tension "That was cool."

Annabeth looked at Percy and asked "Is that all you can say?"

Percy shrugged and said "That was all I could think of at the time."

The girl was a daughter of Khione; she had black hair and brown eyes. She was shorter than most by standing five foot four inches. She was sixteen years old, but had yet hit her growth spurt. She was the only offspring of Khione, or at least the only one anyone was aware of. She was more powerful than the average demigod. She could influence winter and cause blizzards and snow storms, but in the summer she can only freeze thing with her touch and freeze water. Her name was Crystal. Crystal was a outcast due to her mother, but Percy and the gang try to befriend her and be nice, but she tends to give everybody the cold shoulder, and she does it well!

(Line Break)

Peter went to the forges where the Hephaestus's children usually worked at, it was the only metal shop there was. Peter asked one of the kids if he could use the forge, the cabin leader shrugged and said "Knock yourself out."

Peter went into the forge where he was going to make himself two blades; one will be made with Imperial Gold, and with three rubies on its handle, one for each arm guard and the other for the hilt. The second one will be made of sliver and another slivery like metal, the blade will have three sapphires one on the end of the hilt, the other two on each armguard. He added his claws with venom and toxins as well as some of his blood. He forged the blades and was careful to design them the way it would be best. Several hours later Peter was inspecting the blades seeing if there were any imperfections. He found none, except these were not 'his' weapons, but there felt the best. There were a close second to his original ones that is lost in his world somewhere.

Peter walked out of the forge with a large grin plastered on his face he could not wait to see how well they would work.

The blades were larger than must daggers, but smaller than a short sword. They were short enough to be worn on the arms to be used as a vambrace, but were long enough to give range when on the offensive. They were enchanted to only be weld by those of a pure heart and can be summed by Peter. There were more to the blades than meets the eye.

Peter made a scabbard for the blades and then he walked towards the arena to see if there was anybody was there.

When he got there was a son of Ares noticed him and bellowed in a loud voice getting everybody's attention "Well, well, well, if it isn't Puny Peter Parker."

Peter noticed the giant of a man; this son of Arse was six foot six inches and was built like a talk huge and muscular. He had a great broad sword strapped to his back. Peter ask the large man "What do you want?"

The man said "I am Mark, son of Ares! I heard you put Max in the infirmary! Max happens to be a close friend of mine!"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Ok, which one of you is dumber and dumber?"

Mark bellowed "Come down here and fight me! I will squash you like a bug!"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "That is so cliché!"

"Come down here!" Mark bellowed.

Peter sighed and slipped through the top and dropped fifteen feet and landed on the ground in a crouch, his signature Spider Man crouch, he quickly got out of it. Peter said "I'm here tough guy."

Mark said with a smirk "Are you ready to get maimed?"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Talk, talk, talk, that is all you do. Why don't you put your money where your mouth is?'"

Mark unsheathed his giant sword and charged.

Peter waited till the last second before rolling out of the way. Mark it the wall making a giant crack in the wall. Peter smirked and taunted "Be Fi Foe Thumb, what bean stalk you fall from?"

Mark bellowed and charged this time Peter pulled out his golden blade along with his sliver blade and met the brute in the middle. There were a lot of sparks as the metals clashed. Peter had everything in his favor if he wanted to, but he chose to go ahead and have a little fun. He let the giant of a man knock out his golden blade, he slide between his legs and gave a savage kick to the groin.

Mark froze and cupped his now broken family jewels. Mark just stood there frozen cupping his groin in pain.

Peter walked in front and said "This is where the giant falls..." He Sparta Kicked Mark in the chest and sent him to the ground. Mark hit his head and fell unconscious.

Peter looked around and saw everyone staring at him Peter chuckled and thought "Are you not entertained?!" Peter instead said nothing as he quickly left the arena.

However before he could sneak away Percy stood in his way, Peter went to change direction then Jason was in his way he changed again and Nico was in his way. Peter growled lowly as he back up into the arena again.

Percy, Nico and Jason walked into the arena. Peter's eye's narrowed and he bit back a growl.

Percy held his hands up in surrender Percy said "Peter, relax."

Peter said with a slight growl "Easy to say when it feels like three to one. If you wanted to talk you should have waited for me to come back instead of surrounding and funneling me into a cage!"

Percy stopped and thought "I actually did not plan this. I was just going to talk with you."

Peter looked at Jason "I saw Percy wanting to talk to you and I have a few questions as well so I came another way to talk to you."

Nico shrugged and said "I thought it would be fun to corner you."

Peter growled at Nico.

Peter sighed and asked "Can you please put away you swords and you spear Jason? That would help me be less defensive."

Nico had a sword in hand a Percy had a hand in is pocket, and Jason held a spear. All three blushed and put away their weapon.

Peter said "Ok that is better, mind if we grab something to eat and drink?"

Percy's stomach growled causing him to blush. Annabeth said "I think that would be a smart idea."

"Sounds like a plan Wise Girl." Peter said with a chuckle.

The crowd stared at Peter and Peter knew it. Peter asked awkwardly "Did I say something wrong?"

Annabeth asked "How did you know my nick name?"

Peter shrugged and said "You are a daughter of wisdom and you seem to be very bright so..."

Percy said with a shrug "I guess that makes sense."

Peter sighed and said with a chuckle "Let's get something to eat; making these swords burned a lot of calories in the forge!"

The four of them went towards the Big House to see if they could get a bite to eat.

(Line Break)

Peter and the large group of Percy's friends (Piper, Jason and his sister, Nico and his two sister, Percy Annabeth, Will, Clarisse and Reyna).

They were talking a little bit about Peter's past though Peter never revealed much, but from what he did they had to pity him and marvel how he powered through it. Peter was unexpected to say the least, but they could tell he was a good person.

Chiron came trotting in and said "Capture the flag tonight!"

Peter arched an eyebrow and asked "What are the teams?"

Chiron said "The Hunters of Artemis vs the rest of the camp."

Peter said "That seems a little more than one sided..."

Nico huffed and said "They have not lost yet!"

Peter chuckled and said "Their luck is about to change."

Thalia huffed and asked "What is that suppose to mean boy?!"

Peter smirked and said "Like I have said I am an equalizer, an Avenger. Besides I could actually use a challenge."

Thalia said with pride "We have never lost."

Peter smirked and said "There is always a first time for everything."

Thalia said "You better watch your back!"

Peter chuckled and raised his hands in surrender and said in mock hurt "I thought we all were friends!" Peter gave a pouty face.

Percy said "She's my cousin and she hits me with lightning every time! And she has a temper!"

Thalia shouted "I do not have a temper!" Peter could smell ozone.

Peter muttered "I see otherwise..."

Thalia slapped Peter with an electrified hand. Peter was sent flying fifteen feet and when he hit a table he broke the table. Peter chose to allow the slap to char his cheek and to dislocate his jaw. Peter played unconscious.

Thalia rushed to Peter and saw his face with a red oozing burn mark on his cheek in the shape of a hand She saw his stomach and chest because when he hit the ground it tore what shirt he had left revealing to them hideous scars.

Will touched Peter's face and Peter's eyes snapped open and he flipped Will over his shoulder. Peter looked around wide eyed. Thalia said to Peter "I'm so sorry!"

Peter felt his cheek and winced in pain. Peter took a breath and said "You are forgiven, but if you do it again I cannot promise you anything. I have two fatal flaws, loyalty and grudges. I do not easy forgive."

Thalia looked at her feet in shame.

Peter gently lifted her head to eye level and said "Thalia I forgive you, please do not beat yourself up. You made a simple, honest mistake. I can heal pretty fast. I just need to eat a little more and take a nap. By the time capture the flag begins I should be normal enough to play."

No one said anything, but after a few minutes Peter yawned and said "Could I borrow a bunk in one of your cabins for a few hours?"

Annabeth said quickly "Sure, you can use my cabin."

Peter gave another yawn and she gave her a nod and said "Thank you Annabeth. I hope you let you mother know about me, cause I do not want trouble or to be cursed."

Annabeth rolled her eyes and replied "My mother would not do that!"

.Peter held up one finger and said "Arachne." He held up a second finger and said "Medusa."

Annabeth deflated at the memory.

Peter said in a comforting voice "Cheer up Annabeth! I am sure she will like me, after all if she is the goddess of wisdom than she should find me tolerable if not actually like me."

Annabeth broke a small and said "You're right."

Peter chuckled and said "You know guys; I actually think I will sleep near the hearth. It is warm and cozy there anyway."

They disagreed for several minutes while Peter simply walked away and sat in a chair next to the hearth and fell into a deep sleep, though his spider sense was ever alert. By the time they group finished arguing they say Peter fast asleep by the hearth.

They all quietly left him sleeping until the game begins...

0

0

0

Well here is yet another chapter hope you like!

Please leave a review!

Death Fury out!


	3. Chapter 3

**I am so sorry for the delay, life has been rough lately.**

 **I do not own anything, all rights go to Rick** **Riordan and to Disney and to Marvel and to Stan Lee!**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

Peter found himself in a surprisingly comfortable wooden chair, for a second he forgot where he was due to just waking up. He saw a girl about eight years old with her back turned to him.

Peter sat up and stretched as he stifled a yawn. He said "Good…" He paused to look at the sun or the moon in this case Peter then said "Good evening."

The little girl smiled warmly and said turning around "Good evening Peter."

Peter quickly bowed to her and said "Lady Hestia!"

Hestia playfully scolded and said "Peter what did I tell you about formalities?" She could not hide the proud smile forming on her lips.

Peter smiled sheepishly and said "To not to…" Peter chuckled and said "You know, you should be honored that I do bow to you. I seldom show respect to 'Leaders' because most of them do not deserve nor did they earn it. You know of some of my past…" Peter let his voice die as he began to lose himself in memories past, he quickly snapped out of it before Hestia noticed.

Hestia shook her head and said "I will not have my son bowing to me."

Peter smiled and chuckled "To be honest I think you and Hades should be King and Queen. You two are the eldest, the most powerful and the most level headed. Well at least from what I can tell."

Hestia smiled kindly at Peter and was about to speak, until Peter quickly stood up and tensed. She then was about to ask 'what was wrong' but, before she could say anything Jason and Thalia they jogged into view. Thalia easily beat her younger brother. Jason was breathing hard and panting, while Thalia was breathing with ease as if she just walked there.

When they saw Hestia Jason quickly bowed he said Lady Vesta!"

Hestia flickered briefly to her Roman counterpart, before she reverted back to her original form. She smiled kindly at them and said "You both know I do not care for formalities!"

Jason slowly rose up and said with a nervous smile "Romans are taught to respect their superiors."

Hestia gave Jason a nod of understanding.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "As pleasant as this is. I highly doubt you came to chat with Hestia."

Thalia smirked and said "You are smarter than you look."

Peter rolled his eyes again but did not reply to the comment. He asked Thalia respectfully after about five seconds "What did you come here for my I ask?"

"Capture the flag in ten minutes." Thalia said with an evil grin spreading across her face.

Peter rolled his eyes and said boredly "I am going to go out on a limb and say 'we are going to play capture the flag' but is that not a child's game?"

Jason said "We Romans call it 'War Games'."

Peter smirked and said "That is more like it! What are the rules and what are the teams?"

Jason and Peter and Thalia jogged back to where everyone was meeting. On the way there they explained the rules like no killing, no maiming etc…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: Fifteen Minutes Later)**

Peter refused to wear any armor and accept any other weapons than his temporary replacements for Inferno and Blizzard.

One of the children of Ares muttered "Your funeral…"

Peter rolled his eyes knowing that even if he could die, dying would be better than living alone for who knows how long?

Peter looked around and he saw maybe a hundred kids, some he could tell were Romans due to their armor and their strictness and discipline. He could tell some of the Greeks from their weapons and armor. He could tell the children of Mars and the children of Ares, they were slightly different, and truth be told, he liked Mars far more than he did Ares.

Peter looked at all of the 'army' it looked like a quick glance from just looking at him, but Peter used his spider sense to speed up his mind so he could spend more time analyzing without drawing suspicion.

From looking at the kids there were several groups, some looked more warlike and others looked more like healers. Others looked like they should be sleeping instead of being in armor (Hypnos and Morpheus). A few others looked like battle harden warriors and soldiers.

Peter could smell all of their scent, one smelled like the ocean (Percy), he could smell some ozone (Max, Jason and Thalia), and he could smell death (Nico, Bianca, Hazel). There were many scent and odors that he could sense but did not really think to match them.

After analyzing the teams he began thinking of the best way to maximize the number of people.

Peter walked over towards were the leaders were talking Thalia, Jason, and Percy. Peter made his way over without making a single sound. He was listen careful has he neared.

"-in this time for sure!"

Peter said calmly "So what's up?"

Jason literally flew ten feet in the air. Percy jumped a foot off the ground and landed on his backside. Thalia went to stab Peter with a silver hunting knife she had in hand. Peter could sense this so he just took a step back and then a side step to the left, making Thalia to trip over a rock.

Peter chuckled and said "I thought the leaders would be more aware of their surroundings!"

Peter could hear the crackling of electricity coming from Thalia. Peter really could not care less. He knew for a fact she had nothing on Thor, and Thor could not use electric based attacks on him before he faded. Peter hid a smirk as he felt Percy running towards them.

Percy arrived just in time to calm down Thalia. Percy took some time to calm down one of his favorite cousins. Jason landed softly behind Peter. Peter said "I know you are there Jason."

Jason growled and said "How did you?"

"The wind." Peter replied with a hidden smirk.

Chiron came moments later and said "Capture the flag will begin in five minutes, Hunter of Artemis on the East side of the creek the rest on the West side."

Peter gave a nod to Thalia and to Bianca as they went towards the Hunter's side. He watched their forms disappear into the forest.

Peter turned to Jason and Percy and asked "Who is the leader?"

"He is." They replied in sync.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Ok Percy is the leader."

"Why me?!" Percy asked with a winey tone.

Peter replied "One, for a Roman to give up power that means A LOT. Two you do not want power and therefore is safer in your hands."

Jason asked "Why do you ask?"

Peter said "I need you to have those you do not want to play to go ahead and go back to their cabins, or go to the Big House. I want only the people who want to play and win out."

A few minute later there was a loss in campers mostly from Aphrodite, Venus, Hypnos and Morpheus, but a few children of Apollo also did not want to participate, they were more focused on healing and music rather than warfare so they also left. But they were not idle, they prepared the infirmaries.

Peter one way or another was able to take command. He asked the children of Ceres, Demeter and the fawns and satyrs as well as other nature spirits to help them by making a clearing about fifty yards or 150 feet. He made Nico and Hazel move the earth with the help of Percy to make a moat around the flag. Peter asked Percy and Jason to drench the land. They did so and realized that they made a marsh, not only was a difficult to move through it, but it made Percy more powerful due to the water! Jason could simply fly.

Peter organized the Roman into their standard defensive position, tortoise formation. Where they locked their shields together and the person behind them raised their shield to make a roof. This is what made the Romans so difficult to defeat in the ancient times. He stationed them as a last line of defense.

Peter organized the Greeks into their best defensive, the phalanx. Each soldier carried a shield in his left arm, which he used to protect both himself and the man on his left.

He made Jason, Hazel, Nico a "special" team. They were the only ones on the offensive. He would have made Percy on that team, but Percy was the first line of defence so he had to stay behind.

Peter made Annabeth the commander of the Greeks and Reyna the commander of the Romans (she already was).

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: Fifteen Minutes Later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I could feel some possible danger in the wood line. I stood on the far side of the moat. Percy was pacing nervously waiting. With hindsight maybe having a bunch of kids with ADHD waiting was a bad idea. At least the Romans are far more disciplined. I looked over to the Greeks they began to mess around and started to joke around. I was about to march over there but Annabeth was already on her way, I gave her a nod, she somehow saw me and gave one back.

I looked over at Percy he had a bronze shield in hand and Riptide in the other hand.

I felt my spider sense go off, I simply let my instinct take over, looking back I should not have done so many back flips… Well it was too late to think. I dodged about a hundred arrows that came from multiple direction, I remembered why I accepted the shield from Captain America on his death bed, he outlived Tony Stark, who gave the shield back to Steve Rogers. Times like this I wish I had a shield, but at least they had to run out of arrows soon right?

But I forgot that "magic" was allowed meaning an infinite amount of arrows could be shot, meaning I was pinned in the open.

I thought to Hestia _"Could I use the fire ability? If I do, you will have to claim me, unless you want Hephaestus to claim me."_

I heard Hestia in my mind say _"Do what you feel is right, I will take to Hephaestus and see if you wants to play along."_

 _"_ _Thanks Mom!"_ I replied, I realized seconds later two thinks. One; I called Hestia "Mom". The second thing I forgot to dodge a few arrows. I was hit once in the groin (very painful by the way), I was hit in the stomach and then I was hit in the eye, the left eye. It was lodged in my eye socket.

I looked around and the Romans and Greeks looked pale. I reached up and pulled the arrow out. There was the sickening sound of the suction and wet " **POP** " that came with the arrow pulling out my eye. I used my right eye to see the nerve ending that connected the eye to the brain, I cut off with my claws (my finger nails). My eye lid shut.

I could feel my body healing itself, though it will be sometime before I regrow my eye.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Third Person Point of View)**

Peter looked around himself and saw the arrows has stopped firing, he looked around and saw the campers and the Romans pale. He yanked out the arrow, his eye came with the arrow. He raised his right hand and used his index's finger nail and cut the nerve ending. Blood did not pour out like everyone expected, instead his eye was swollen shut.

Peter lost his left eye, but no one would have guessed that based on his reaction. He called in a cold tone that stole hope from both sides. He spoke with cold bitterness that made even Percy feel a cold shiver running up and down his spine that he has not felt since he met Tartarus in Tartarus. Peter held up the arrow for all to see "Would one of you huntresses like to claim this arrow?" Peter's blood was red, but there was a tint of blue (spider's blood). Peter broke the arrow and said in a deadly calm voice "I do not wish to kill…"

Artemis herself felt fear from this male. He acted as if an arrow to the air was a mild annoyance. Artemis growled and was about to do something, but she realized that one of her hunters, at least one of them broke the rule of no maiming…

Artemis walked into the open in her eighteen year old form.

Peter saw her and felt her power. He gave her a low bow and said in a deep voice "Lady Artemis!"

Artemis said "Rise."

Peter did as he was told.

Artemis looked at Peter and then looked at the ground and saw the arrow with an eye skewered onto it. Artemis called to her younger brother "APOLLO!"

Apollo showed up and said "Why am I here? How was the game?"

Artemis opened her mouth, but Peter cleared his throat. Apollo turned around and saw Peter with his eye swollen shut. Apollo said "A black eye is hardly with my time."

Peter growled and said in a cold tone "Look under your foot doctor."

Apollo looked under his foot and saw an eye. He looked up to Peter and he connected the dots.

Peter said "About time!"

Apollo went into doctor mode and sent golden light into Peter's left eye socket. Peter allowed himself to heal quickly. In about a minute Peter had his eye back and most of his recent injuries were healed and some of the scars faded a bit more.

Peter said after he felt himself healing enough "Apollo I am healed enough, I got my eye back and I no longer needs contacts."

Apollo stopped and removed his hand. He looked careful over Peter and said in a tone of a doctor "I think you should rest."

Peter rolled his eyes and said "If this was a battle I would have fought on. If this was training I would continue. Why would I stop now?"

Apollo raised an eyebrow.

Peter asked "Artemis, can we spar?"

Artemis growled and said "If you want _boy_!" She said boy as if it was the worst insult.

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Let set up a wager. If I survive five minutes or more we win capture the flag. If you win, you and the hunters win."

Artemis asked "Why would I do that?"

Peter hated to do this, but he needed to make her angry so he could spar with her. Peter said "I thought you loved putting males into place? I also thought you were one of the best Olympians in hand to hand combat? I guess I was mistaken…"

Artemis's temper got away from her, she pulled out to silver hunting knives. Peter barely had time to draw out his twin blades, both the golden one and the sliver one, to block the oncoming onslaught.

Artemis was by far one of the best and the hardest opponent he has faced in eons!

Peter traded blow for blow with Artemis, but the Huntress was slowly gaining the upper hand. The Huntress began to nick Peter's arms, Peter was not healing himself and he was out of shape for such a powerful opponent. He should have waited until he was closer to his prime or recovered more of his strength, or maybe he should have let "Black Spider" or "Perseus Black Bannister". He was in better shape and had more strength out of the two of them.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter Point of View)**

I lost track of time of how long I was going against Artemis, I was beginning to slow down, I could not risk my healing factor being revealed just yet, and I hope I could just keep that to myself until a true battle.

I let myself loose the golden sword. It went in a fifteen foot arc and landed twenty feet away driving itself half into a large piece of granite. I only had the silver blade now, I preferred this blade anyway.

I saw about a dozen different color flash around me without thunder so I knew it was not lightning. I chose to ignore it for the time being, I needed to focus on the task on hand.

I was getting stiff ,sore and tired. I had a cut on my brow and the blood kept getting in my eyes, blinding me, but I luckily still had my spider sense otherwise I would be dead by now. I was growing weary of the fight. I sensed that Artemis is also getting worn down, even if it was just a little, her moves were slightly more sloppy than it was to begin with. This gave me a little up. I let lose some of my powers.

Snow began to fall and getting heavier by the second. I swiped out her feet, she jumped over like I knew she would, but I grazed the ground freezing it. She threw several knives. I did a back flip and land in a crouch. I stabbed the ground with the blade. Everything within twenty feet froze. Lightning flashed in the snow storm. The winds kicked up and the snow began to fall even harder. The cold wind bit all except Crystal, Hestia, Leo, and Hephaestus. Those either had fire within them to keep them warm, or ice was their power.

I stood up and I saw my eyes in a piece of ice that reflected my face, my eyes became blue, ice blue with e tint of purple.

I said coldly "Want to fight?"

I barely had time to dodge a lightning bolt that was one of the largest ones I have seen since getting here. I looked at the direction and found a man with blond hair and electric blue eyes looking down on me. I threw my sword behind me and in embedded itself up to its hilt in another piece of granite.

I was now unarmed and bloody. I stood looking at everyone around me. I gave a low animalistic growl, I was fighting my other counter parts; Spider Demon, Black Spider, Myself, plus the wolf part.

I stood defiantly; I never truly lost my rebelliousness. I made myself calm down and I suppressed my powers, but the storm was still brewing around us. I could feel my rage wanting to be releashed, wanting to lash out, to destroy everything. Wanting others to feel the pain I feel deep inside.

The man with the electric blue eyed thundered in a commanding tone "Bow before the gods!"

I stood defiantly and said with a snarl "I bow to no **_man_**!" I taste ozone, I knew that lightning was about to strike. I stood straight as a soldier in formation. I gave them, all of them a glare, they all filched! And that was not even my death glare! Heck that was one of my annoyed, mildly angry glares!

The man summoned lightning into his hand and I chuckled and said "You must be Zeus; King of Olympus, Lord of the Sky!"

He looked rather proud of himself before I said "You are a man wore. You cheat on your wife, when she has been nothing but faithful! You have the domains of Justice and Honour yet you seldom use them! You are power hungry and lust for power. You are paranoid of anyone you think _might_ _ **MIGHT.**_ Steal it from you! You are little better than you father, King of the Titans and Lord of Time! Out of the eldest gods you are the weakest…"

By now Zeus's temper raging and lightning flashed and the rain began to pour. Zeus boomed "You dare insult me a god, the king?!"

Peter snorted unamused and said "I know of only one God and you are not Him. All I see before is yet another man, no a child who throws a temper tantrum when he does not get his own way, you are not even fit to rule!" Peter growled at the end and he stood up, his eyes turned a mixture between electric blue and ice blue.

Peter walked back wards never taking his eyes off the pissed of the Thunder Baby. He got to his silver sword and pulled it out of the stone and he in a soft voice "Crystal I give you more sword." The sword glowed brightly for a few seconds before the glow died. Peter said to Zeus with a dark smile "Smite me if you dare..." Peter had a gut feeling that the Master Bolt would not do too much damage, the force will, the electricity? Not so much.

Zeus threw the bolt Peter faced he held his arms out as if to embrace someone in a hug, the bolt hit him in the chest.

There was a blinding flash of light and a thunderous boom that shook the earth.

Smoke billowed thickly in the air, the air slowly became clear. To everyone's utter shock Peter was still there, though be it knelling.

Peter's clothes were burned off revealing all of the scars he had accumulated over the years. Peter head rested on his chest in exhaustion.

Apollo took a step towards him.

Peter suddenly snapped his head up, his eyes were burning reddish, yellowish, orange color ( **think of Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars III Revenge of the Sith).** Peter let out a growl and his whole body was consumed in a black fire that made everyone step back due to the heat. Poseidon made a shield over the campers and hunters.

The black fire seemed to burn the blood off Peter his scars glowed beneath the fire a sickly white that stood out from the black flames. Peter gave a glare to Zeus who stepped back in fear.

The fire on Peter's body died and Peter said coldly "I thought you wanted me dead? I thought you were the _fearless_ king?! You are one of the worst people I have ever met for ruling! You would fit better as a servant than being royalty!"

Zeus's temper got the better of him and lightning flashed above and behind him.

Peter chuckled darkly and said "Zeus you did take out Peter. You see we share the same body like you and your other aspects. I am his 'counterpart' if you will. My name is Perseus. You see Peter was the better temper of the three of us. I am more powerful than he, but we agreed long ago that I will not take over unless he allows me to, or if he is unconscious." Lightning began to flash behind Black Spider also known as Perseus. But it was not normal; it was instead red lightning, ranging from blood red to scarlet red to crimson red.

All of the Olympians had their weapons drawn except for Hestia who look broken hearted.

Perseus gave a sardonic grin and said "Unlike Peter, I do not have a death wish. I look forward to this."

All of the Olympians shot their powers at Black Spider who stood there, but something unexpected happened.

Right before the energy beams hit him, they merged into one. Peter took over and said right before the beam could hit him "Sorry Mom…"

The beam hit Peter square in the chest, where Peter was a millisecond ago was no more. There was nothing. Nothing that Peter had, the gold sword slowly faded as it did not belong here, however the silver sword stayed in the hands of Crystal.

Hestia was crestfallen about the loss of her adopted son, her champion.

A note appeared that read;

 _To whomever this may concern;_

 _I am sorry Hestia for putting you through heartbreak. I wish I could be there and feel hope once again, but alas Fate has no such plans for me._

 _Not everything is as it seems…_

 _Tell Percy and the gang that I wish I could have gotten to know them better._

 _My time is about up one last note before i sign off;_

 _NEVER LOSE HOPE_

 _NEVER BACK DOWN_

 _NEVER BEND_

 _NEVER BREAK_

 _BOW TO NO ONE_

 _Till we meet again;_

 _Peter_

Hestia read it to herself and shared it with Percy and the gang, they swore to never say anything of it until they met Peter again.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(First Person Point of View: Peter)**

One moment I lost control of myself and let out my dark counterpart, I regain control just before I was hit by the beam of the thirteen Olympians? Anyways I woke up and found myself standing before five beings all of which were far more powerful the entire Olympians Council. There were three old hags, one large being that looked liked their mother. Then the last but not least a being that I felt compelled to bow two, but I stood defiantly. The last being I could not tell if it was male or female, and I had a feeling I did not want to.

The three old ladies said in unison "We are the Fates." I rolled my eyes not caring because since I did not belong in their world, they had no control over me. I do not have a "thread of life" in this realm or in this world.

I knew then that the mother of the triplets was Destiny. I calmly said "You must be Destiny." I gave her a slight nod of the head. She gave me a nod back.

I turned to the last one and the power rolling off made me want to hide, it made me want to submit. I will never submit willingly! I I could not tell if the being before me was male or female. I racked my brain for any information about Greek Mythology… I smirked and said slowly with a mischievous grin "Chaos…"

The being gave a slight nod of acknowledgment.

Chaos said in a voice that was a perfect blend between male and female "You do not belong here…"

I growled and said "For a creator you are slow. I never wanted to come here! I wanted to die! I did not come into this world, realm, universe, multiverse on my own free will! I was forced to come!"

Chaos, Destiny and the Three Fates seemed to be talking telepathically for about an hour before a ball of pure energy formed in all of their hands. The five deities said in unity "You are not part of this world. A purge is in place." They all fired their powers all at once. I was waiting for impact but instead I saw a man;

Out of no where came out a figure he was wearing some sort of black scale like armor it was flexible and it seemed to flow with him. He had a few visible swords strapped to his back and hips. All I could see was the hilt of the many blades. He noticed some of the swords had some sort of a gem in either the hilt or handle and both in a few. The gems had several different colors ranging from fiery red rubies to icy blue sapphires, toxic green emeralds to a shocking yellow. Inside the gems seem to swirl like a storm cloud trapped in each jewel. I noticed that the man that stood before him had a shield on his back it was also black but it had all colors of gems in the center, the edge was razor sharp. The man either had a helmet or a mask it hid the details of him well. It was also black it had eye holes but there was some sort of lens that was green at the moment it flashed  
red for a spit second then blue before reverting back to its green color the helmet had two sets of ridges that stood about a centimeter up. The stranger before him was not too tall; he stood around six foot maybe six foot one inch. He was too broad either he looked almost human with physique of a human. The stranger took off his mask / helmet thing and that revealing a human's face with electric blue eyes. The color of his skin was a light tan. His hair was either a very dark brown or black. He looked at me and said "I am an Ally. My name? I have many."

He said calmly "Peter I know you do not belong here, or anywhere. What if I could give you a second chance? What if I gave you a chance at a new childhood? You will forget everything, until the ages of six though twelve. You will retain all of your powers and abilities, when you remember. There will be a seal that blocks your powers until you come of age, but you will keep your spider sense, danger sense, reflexes and agility, and immunity to temperature difference and venom slash poison immunity slash secretion. And in dire need you will unlock your powers and you will instinctively know how to use them. What do you say?"

I asked confused "Why? Why me?"

Ally chuckled and said to me "Because you deserve it. Besides you can change the future for the better!"

I gave a low growl and asked "I do not trust you…"

Ally rolled his eyes and said "Peter, do you sense danger? Do you even sense potential danger? I mean you no harm, if I did you would have been dead by now. I am known as " **Dauðr Móðr** ", " **Bani Óðr** " to the Vikings and to the Norse-"

I interrupted him by asking "What does that mean?!"

He gave me a dark smirk and said coldly "Death Fury…" When he said it, I felt cold, and I wanted to hide. I have **_NEVER_** felt this way before, I was truly terrified. I may not have heard of him, but he was… I… Well I am screwed if I pissed him off!

Death Fury said "Peter I mean you no harm. My offer is true and pure. I have watched you from the beginning. I was unable to interfere due to the fact once I did, other beings also could. Thou would make Hulk and the Asgardians look like children with sticks. They would have destroyed your multiverse with ease without a second thought about. Since you left your world and realm, I was able to intervene. However I will not make this a habit of coming into the action in the front line until the Final Battle at the end of all things."

I swallowed nervously unsure of what to say. Death Fury chuckled and said "I mean no harm to you or your allies. As a rule I do not fight directly or indirectly, so neither can the Enemy. One more thing Peter, call me Ally, it is shorter and it is less threatening."

I gave him a nod unsure of what to do next.

Ally asked calmly "Well Peter, what have you decide on?"

I thought about "I think I will accept.., but could you do me a few favors?..." I asked nervously.

Ally snapped his fingers and Blizzard, Frost Bite, Inferno and Hellfire, actually I am changing hellfire to Blaze. I have Blizzard, Inferno, Frost Bite and Blaze. He gave me my shield, formerly owned by Captain America, the First Avenger. I ended up reforging it, I replaced the steel and iron with my claws. I also redid the paint job. It is now black. The white spider symbol is where the star use to be at. The edge is razor sharp and coated with venom. It is more powerful in my possession than when it was in Steve's.

I smiled and asked "How did you know?"

Ally smirked and said "I was not going to send you weaponless, besides, you best look at your body."

I did so and realized I had my Black Spider suite on, I willed my suit and shield to become white and they did. It was now my White Spider suite. The main color is white, but with the spider symbol being black. I had my armor, my weapons and my shield. I gave a smile and said "Thank you."

Ally gave me one more smirk and said "One more thing, check your pocket…"

I quickly did so and found nothing. I frowned. Ally rolled his eyes and said annoyed "Your other pocket…"

I checked my other pocket and found my credit card, I smirked I knew I had well over a few Centillion because I never spend anything on anything and because I linked up all of my business throughout my multiverse as well as Stark's Industries, the Future Foundation, plus several other businesses. Those of you how do not know what a Centillion is, look it up!

Ally said "I also took some liberty to trade some of your mortal money into drachmas and denarius."

I must have given him a confused look when he explained that the drachmas and the denarius were Greek and Roman currency, (currency of the gods).

Ally said "I think that is all. Though I have one last question for you."

"What is it?" I asked quickly.

Ally said "When do you want to go back to?"

I replied "When ever you want to."

Ally rolled his eyes and said "What place in time do you want to go back?"

I replied with something very intellectual "Oh…"

Ally chuckled and said "Yeah…"

I thought about it for a few and asked "Does it matter?"

Ally said "Yes, the more you go back the more affect you will have, but you can plausibly change what would have happened, maybe Zeus would be a fair ruler. Maybe Kronos would be a fair ruler and not eat his children, you never know."

I asked "Do you have a suggestion?"

He sighed and said "Yes and no. The further you go back the more you could affect the future. If you lose your self control you could create a new species that are not Primordial, Titian or God, nor monster, nor mortal."

I thought about it and realized that would be a very, very bad thing. Note to self, do not interbreed! No sex! Not that I thought about. I gave Ally a nod and said "I think I will go back to around when Hestia is born, maybe a few years before. Could you give me some knowledge of that time and era? As well as what should have happened?"

Death Fury chuckled and said I will give you the knowledge of before, but," He reached into a satchel and pulled out several books, one of them read "Percy Jackson Book One: the Lightning Thief". I sighed; I then knew I had a lot of reading to do. I guess it is best I learn about the future now before I screw it up too much.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **I am so sorry for the delay, life has been hard on me. This chapter is far shorter than I would have liked, about three thousand words (-3,000) but it could be worse.**

 **When do you think Peter should be teleported back?**

 **1\. To a war between the Primordial?**

 **2\. To before Hestia is born by a few years or maybe a couple centuries**

 **3\. Shortly after the birth of Zeus and he helps him train**

 **4\. During the war between the Titians and the Gods**

 **5\. During the birth of Artemis and Apollo**

 **6\. Reader's choice, you the readers suggest or pick a time.**

 **7\. Author's pick.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Here is the second chapter!**

 **0**

0

0

I sighed as I saw the amount of books I had to read, I knew I had to memorize them, otherwise I may forget them and if I forgot them that would be disastrous. Who know what kind of chaos I could cause? I might unmake a few beings or create others without realizing it. I know full well what happens when you mess with a timeline. Believe me; I have done it time and again. I wandered through many of my dimensions through my multiverse. I became known as "The _Wanderer"_ or "The Wandering Spider" I never became a traveler, a traveler has a destination I always went with the wind, or just let luck and fate take me. I followed my gut and my instincts. I went through hundreds of thousands of wars. I watched time and again my friends die. I made sure after the second time of losing my wife and children; I was never having any again. I became my own worst enemy. I refused to go into conflict for decades and I saw what happened. I fixed it, I formed a team and left. I knew what happens when you remove one thing, or did one thing instead of another. I know the worst that can happen as well as the best.

So I made sure to memorize each and every word of each and every story.

I finished reading and memorizing in what seemed like a few hours, but it could have been a week and I do not think I would know. Time works differently here, I can feel it. Once you have been alive for a few millennia you can feel the flow of time. I was ready for anything that could be thrown my way (well I hope so at least!).

Ally said in a deep voice "It is time."

I stood up and gave him a bow.

Ally chuckled and said amusingly while shaking his head "Peter I told you there was no need to bow."

I smirked and said cheerfully "I know."

Ally rolled his eyes and said "Once you get there, you are on your own. If you want to time skip, you have to hibernate."

I arched an eyebrow and asked "What do you mean?"

Death Fury said with a sigh "I enhanced much of your powers, but I focused mostly on the spider and wolf side. I know you have hibernated for winter once and when you went to Alaska you slept nearly three quarters of a year once. I simply enhanced that so you can sleep for centuries if not for a few millennia."

I asked skeptically "I am not too sure. How and When will I wake up?"

He sighed and said "For several reasons, one you are in danger. Two, someone you care for is in danger. Three, a new age. Four, whenever you are either fully healed or mostly healed. Five whenever you like."

I thought about and gave a nod then asked "What do you mean you messed with my spider and wolf side?"

He shrugged and said with a smirk "It is for me to know and for you to found out. I did nothing that would endanger you or a loved one. You can fully transform into ANY spider and you can crossover several different types of spiders. You can also change into several different types of wolves, though you will be in your primary form unless you consciously change it."

I asked "Anything else?"

"Yup!" He popped the 'p' sound.

"Let me guess, I have to found out on my own." I replied.

"You are correct." Ally replied with a small smile.

I asked "So when do I leave?"

"After I give you one last gift." He replied reaching into a satchel at his waist. He pulled out two bracelets, ok they were arm guards, they were the darkest shade of black I have ever seen. It made the light around seem dark, as if it was drinking the light.

I asked nervously "What is that?"

Ally grinned and said "This will mute your powers and hide it, the ones that are not DNA based (your spider powers). It will hide them from everyone and everything. It is enchanted so only you can use them. They can never leave you unless you bid them to do so. They will always return to you like your other belongings. You can set up weights for them so it will be heavy making thing heavier for you. Think about it this way, it will make you as strong as a normal human. A hundred tons per arm guard and greaves, you can slowly increase the weight and you can become stronger."

I sighed and asked "Do I really need that?"

Ally sighed and said with a chuckle "I guess I went a little over bored." He put them back in and pulled out two different arm guards and said "This will simply hide your powers as well as act as a shield. They are made up Deathium."

I arched my eyebrow but he did not answer he simply said "They are indestructible and will only allow you to use them, unless you allow someone else to."

I gave a nod accepting these ones. I knew it would be best hiding my powers if I was to live longer. I slipped them on and I felt different. I immediately took them off and said with a growl "I will not wear those!"

HE sighed and said "Very well. I wish you the best." He snapped his fingers and the view around me slowly faded into darkness **….**

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

 **Location: Unknown**

 **Time: 500 YAC (years after creation)**

I slowly faded out of the Unknown Realm and he slowly appeared into a new place, he could feel the peace in the atmosphere. Then I felt tension. Slowly my vision began to come. I found myself standing in the center of a throne room and all around me were thrones. There were over a dozen beings surrounding me. I knew some of them; **Chaos:** Protogenos of the Void. **Gaea:** Protogenos of the Earth. **Ouranos:** Protogenos of the Sky. **Pontos:** Protogenos of the Sea. **Tartarus:** Protogenos of the Pit. **Nyx:** Protogenos of Night. **Erebus:** Protogenos of Darkness. **Hemera:** Protogenos of Day. **Aither:** Protogenos of Upper Air and Light. **Akhlys:** Protogenos of Misery and Poison. **Ourae:** Protogenoi of Mountains. **Chronos:** Protogenos of Time. **Elpis:** Protogenos of Hope. **Aion:** Protogenos of Eternity. **Ananke:** Protogenos of inevitability. Plus a few lesser known Primordials such as **Phusis:** Protogenos of Nature

I knew there were a few of them I could never get along with several of them, but I would try NOT to get them angry with me. I stood there in the center. All of them were staring at me, and I at them.

Chaos boomed in a loud voice that echoed all around "Who are you?!"

I winced and covered my ears. My ears began to ring and felt warm liquid on the inside my hand.

I slowly removed my hand and let the blood, red blood, and drip out of my ear and onto my shoulder then to the floor. Drip… Drip… Drip… Drip…

Chaos looked sympathetic so I knew then and there that he was a softie. He snapped his fingers and I felt my ears healed by magical means.

I gave a nod of appreciation.

Everyone in the room slowly shrunk down to their human size.

Chaos asked this time more politely "Who are you?"

I replied and said "A Wander."

Ananke, Chronos, and Aion did not like him at all. Ananke said "I do not trust him!"

I said coolly "Why? Is it because you cannot see my future? Am I too wild? Am I too untamable? Am I too much for you to see clearly?"

Chronos said "You are not from here; you are from a different time."

I replied and said coyly with a smirk trying to spread to my lips, but I hid well enough for it not to be known "A different space and time. Yes."

Aion said "I do not like him either."

I said with a chuckle and said "That is because nothing is ever eternal. Everything and everyone will eventually die or fade. It does not matter who or what you are." I thought _'I show you your mortality, your end. Your bane…'_

Chaos asked "Who else here dislikes him?"

Ananke, Chronos, and Aion were there, but a couple more also sided with them namely; Eros and Phanes.

The people who were on my side included; Pontos, Gaea, Tartarus, Nyx, Erebus, Elpis, and Akhlys

This is funny, you see I have hope and misery on my side! They should not be able to be near each other, yet they are agreeing on me. Pontos is the ocean, wild and free, even Destiny has a hard time guiding him, which guess is why he likes me.

All the others looked either indifferent or was waiting for me to do something.

Chaos looked around and saw it was pretty much split right down the middle, this did not looked good. Chaos sighed and said "This is-"

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 2,000 years later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

It has been about two thousand years since I first arrived. Chaos went into a deep slumber. At first things were going quite well. However things slowly got worse. Soon there will be a war, the first war of this world. So far I have been blessed by; Pontos, Gaea, Tartarus, Nyx, and Erebus. There are no titans yet this is the Primordial War.

I know Thanatos and the others are yet to be born.

Nyx and I were pretty close she and I had a sibling like bond. I was good friends with Erebus, which was a good thing because otherwise he might have killed me for being so close to his wife. Tartarus was not evil to begin with I see that. I hope I can stop the giants from being created, but if I do that, than what else will happen? I sighed, I knew then that I will have to try to remain neutral, but I had to stand with my friends and allies!

You see I am still fully mortal, or as mortal as I ever will be. My skill in combat is still great, but I cannot show too much otherwise it will be the downfall of me. If I show my full skill, my full power than they may end up turning against me. I know that Nyx would never, she maybe like my sister, but also like a mother…

I was holding a sword made of shadows and darkness, courtesy to Nyx, Erebus and Tartarus. They all have powers over darkness and shadows. If I truly used my full power I might be able to take on a Primordial head on, but I see all of them, ok most… fine some of them as family.

There are still several more that hate me Eros. For the Primordial of love he sure can hate! Eros hates me because I show no love, especially with him around and I am immune to his influence. Ananke still did not like me because I can mess too much with destiny and play too much with fate. Chronos and I were more or less acquaintances, he does not like time being messed with, but he understood I had no control and I was trying not to change the timeline too much. Ouranos and I were slightly better than Chronos, I think that is because I was friends with his wife and I never told a lie.

Ok anyways I held my sword _Melas._ Melas means "black, dark" in Ancient Greek. It was either that or Shadow or Shadow Biter. Actually I am going to name it Shadow Bite. Like frost bite, but with shadows and darkness. I would have called it 'Shadow Slayer' but it would have been thought it was slaying shadows.

I was not going to fight to kill or to fade. I was not going to change fate and destiny.

I saw three Primordials, Ananke, Chronos, and Aion. They charged me I allowed them to take me out.

I was hit by Akanke's club over and over again. I willed my healing factor to stop and to let my vital signs to also stop. She beat me to death.

This became a battle cry for those who were friends and allies with me. The War began and first blood goes to the other side.

I watched the war through my spider sense. It lasted several thousand years.

At the end of the war there were new beings. The age of the Titian has begun.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 100 Years)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

The first century under the rule of Kronos was actually peaceful and he was a fair and just ruler. He was Lord of Time and King of the Titians. Like his predecessor, Chronos, Kronos did not like me or trust me. But I became good friends with; Oceanus (well before he was corrupt by Kronos), Rhea, Tethys, Themis, Helios, Selene, Leto, Lelantos, Tyche, Styx, Horae, Nemesis, Nike and Tethys.

I was blessed by; **Helios, Selen** (the sun and moon), **Oceanus, Lelantos** (Titan of Air and the Hunter's Skill of Stalking Prey), **Themis** (Lady of Conduct and Titaness of Divine Law and Justice), **Tyche** (luck), **Nike** (victory), **Styx, Nemesis** (Retribution, Balance), **Horae** (Goddesses of law and seasons), **Tethys** (fresh water)

I kept my previous powers hidden. I became the bearer of justice and revenge as well as balance.

I was really good friends with Rhea, Helios, Selene, and Leto, not exactly in that order though. I helped Rhea raise Hestia, and we became close friends. She was like a little sister to me, but I knew I could not get too attached to her. She was going to be swallowed by their father once Hades is born.

I train Hestia in hand to hand combat in secret. I taught how to use a dagger and a sword, but I taught her how peace is the first thing you should try, and how violence should never be the first course of action. Even before she got her domains she was very peaceful and full of hope.

However right after Hades was born the Fates appeared and as a rule when they came I left. I knew they were going to tell Kronos his fall. I had no choice but to leave Rhea. I told her I was getting aid, but I will take time, and time was never on my side. She almost slapped me think I was making a pun, but realized what meant.

Atlas's daughters and I were friends especially Zoe and _Calypso. Atlas at first was a good father, but he too was corrupt by Kronos the Crooked One._

 _I visited the garden one last time before I myself went into hiding. I spoke with the_ Hesperides and Calypso. I told them that I had to flee from the wrath of Kronos. I told Zoe (and the others by extension) that I would see them someday, whether it be tomorrow or whether it be a million years from then. I gave Zoe a wolf charm, the wolf was black with the eyes an icy blue sapphire. I gave it to her when the others had their backs turned.

I jumped the cliff when I heard Atlas's and Kronos angry roar. I landed in the water once I hit the water I saw Oceanus. He was debating on whether or not to fight me or to side with me. I hoped to the Fates that he fought me, not because I wanted violence, but because Poseidon needed to become god of the seas. For once someone who I thought was a friend now was ready to kill me. I shadow traveled away.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 1,000 Years)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Rhea hid Zeus from his evil titian father Kronos. She fled to Crete, I was already there and I prepared everything for them.

I sensed them traveling towards me. I kept giving them signs to help them. Once they got to the cave I was using I made them rest and eat.

Rhea told Zeus to train. I promised her I will help train him. She left though she wished she could stay.

I trained with Zeus, though I did not train him fully. I did slightly more than what the myths and legends told of.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 500 Years)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

It was finally time to free the Olympians to be from their father. I this time I am willing to help. Of course I could poison Kronos and cause him to fade, but I knew Kronos had a role to play in the future. I hated not being able to do the right thing, but of course when you are time traveling you have to sacrifice a lot.

This is the year for the war, The Titan War. This will bring us into the Olympian Age. I am going to fight. I knew my foreknowledge will not help me, because since I have already interfered with the Titians they knew me and therefore I have altered the timeline creating an alternate universe, though it is not too bad.

I poisoned the drink and Kronos threw up; Hera, Poseidon, Demeter Hades, and Hestia in that order.

War was waged and it raged on for centuries, but the fall of Atlas was the final stand of the Titians.

I was able to save the Hesperides and Calypso from execution, but Calypso was still forced into exile. The Hesperides was forced to stay at the garden lest they lose their immortality. I tried lessening the punishment saying that they did not fight in the war, and they were forced to help their father, but they were still angry about the being swallowed thing.

They cut up Kronos and banished his remains in the depth of Tartarus.

I left just before the Fates came, I warned the Olympians not to say my name and not to say they had help. They all agreed, but they swore never to forget me. Which Zeus however did forget.

After the Fates left I came back a few days later. They received their domains.

They all blessed me (well Hestia tried, but was unable, but no one noticed it.) I received even more powers. I know my two strongest are Darkness / Shadows and Water. I thanked them, but I also said I could not stay for long.

I asked them to keep their words and to keep their domains in order.

At first Zeus kept his domains of Honor, and Justice, but he slowly became corrupt and became paranoid. He lost his honor. Became what he destroyed. He became a tyrant just like his father was, though he was slightly less cruel.

When they kicked Hades off the counsel, I and Hestia were the only ones that visited him. I practically lived in the underworld, well Tartarus. After the war Tartarus became bitter and resentful. He literally became the pit and Nyx was casted into hit. Gaia was banished to earth. Most of them became bitter, not only did they lose the war, but they also thought they lost me. So I decided that I would show up in Tartarus.

Tartarusslowly became himself once again, but let me tell you something, he holds a grudge worse than Hades!

Anyways I was became Prince of the Pit and Prince of the Underworld. Hades and Tartarusactually got along well enough.

I helped clean up the River Styx. Let me tell you, it was filthy and polluted! I cleansed the water with a mixture of hope and water cleansing. To say see was please would be an understatement. She allowed me to use her river to travel between the Underworld and Tartarus, as well as to communicate between Hades and Tartarus. The river flows through both.

Over the years the land of the dead became more of a home than the outside world. I fought the Titians that were trapped in the Pit. I kept them from reforming until the time was right.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 125 Years Later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I just finished visiting the Hesperides, but for the most part, I came to see Zoe. The five of us spoke and simply enjoyed the night sky with the sound of the ocean clashing against the cliff. I made dinner (yes I know how to cook, even without Hestia's blessing, but her blessing made it taste even better though (magic). I bid them good night and told them I would visit again, but hopefully sooner than last time.

I looked up at the sky and I knew it was soon that Leto would be pregnant. I wished Zeus would learn to keep it in his pants, but I know that Artemis and Apollo will make a huge difference in the war. At least there are no demigods yet. I closed my years and used the night sky to tell me where Leto was, if she was under the night sky I would find her.

I found her on a trail heading west. I sighed and Shadow Traveled there to her, but about a hundred feet away from her so I do not startle her.

I called out "Lady Leto!"

Let me tell you Leto (for being pregnant) jumped high and nearly threw her knife at me! I learned never startle Leto. She glared at me for scaring her then spit into a grin and leapt into my arms, happy to see me. I chuckled and simply held her in my arms.

Leto let go of me after maybe fifteen minutes of trying to squeeze the life out of me.

She asked me "Where in Tartarus have you been?!"

I chuckled and said "In Tartarus and the Underworld."

At first she glared thinking I was joking, but she quickly saw I spoke the truth and she quickly wrapped me up in her arms. I sighed and wrapped my arms around her. She asked me "Are you ok?"

I sighed and said "I have been better. Anyways how are you Lady Leto?"

Leto sighed and asked "Will you always use titles for me?"

I chuckled and said with a small smirk "Maybe, maybe not."

Leto bent over and clutched her womb. I quickly knelt at her side. I placed my hands over her hands and used Hestia's power of hope and healing into it. She slowly straightened up and asked "What did you do?"

I smiled and said "Come on I will tell you on the road."

Leto grimaced. I sigh and gave her a look of pity. She said "I was cursed by Hera-"

I cut her off and said "I know you cannot give birth."

Leto gave a sad nod.

I sighed and said "There is bound to be a place where you **_CAN_** give birth at."

Leto gave a tired nod. I sighed and said "I will make a fire and cook some food. Rest."

Leto tried to stand, but I gently pushed her back down and said firmly yet gently "You have a pair of twins. You need to save your strength. I will get us food and collect us some fire wood."

She sighed and knew she could not change my mind. I used my super human speed to pick up dried pieces of wood. I killed a few rabbits for dinner.

Once I got back I lit the wood on fire and I gave Leto my cloak. The cloak was made of darkness, but it was warm. I could barely see her in the shadows. I smiled and said "Sleep, I will keep watch tonight."

She did not even protest she muttered "Good night Peter…"

I kissed her on the forehead and she smiled before drifting off to sleep. I sighed and made a staff of darkness and stone. I threw it into the ground it the earth absorbed it without making a sound. I looked up at the moon and stars lighting up the darkness of night. I willed some of the north stars to brighten slightly and to make the moon glow more fervently. I gave a tired sigh, this was going o be a LONG night.

I stood up all night, though I did manage to find the island of _**Delos**_ using a combination of spider sense, night sight and moon sight, everything under the night sky I can see, but if it is under the light of the moon I can see it easier. Though it is tiring to use it for extended amounts of time, but if I want to become better I have to use and get more endurance up which is why I do use.

Leto woke up about ten hours later, the sun was beginning to shine, but I made a dome of darkness so she could sleep until she woke up herself. Let me give you a hint. Light and darkness does not mix! It was exhausting to create darkness in the presences of bright light! I was already worn down by doing the moon sight with the night manipulation. She gave a yawn and gave me a smile.

I gave her a tired smile and releashed the dome. The bright light blinded her for a few seconds, it did me, but I was blind before so it does not affect me so much. I asked her "Did you sleep well Leto?"

Leto gave another yawn and said "One of the best I have had in years."

I gave her a nod and said "Good." I helped her to her feet and I stomped on the ground and when I did that I summoned a staff of gold, silver and bronze. I gave it to her as a walking stick. I said "Here I think this may come in handy." She looked at it questioningly.

I told her "It will serve you as a walking staff, as well as a weapon of self defence. I cannot always be with you. I am still a mortal and will eventually die."

Leto gave a nod and thanked me for the staff, though she did not look happy about me dying and all.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: One Week Later….)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Leto and I just made it to the island of Delos. She was going into labour; luckily I have helped with giving birth. I helped my wife and in emergencies I have helped out more than I care to let on.

I am just going to skip over most of the birthing part; I got a couple of bruises from Leto's grip. Artemis was born first, and she and I helped Leto give birth to Apollo, several hours later. I know it should have been five days, but I helped out with that. In the matter of hours she was already a teenager. I made her a dress of darkness with the constellations and moon on it. I tossed a clean towel for Apollo. Leto was still extremely weak from giving birth, I was drained as well. I used a lot of healing on her and hope. I did not rest the whole time. I had no sleep for over a week. I used my powers far more than normal. So of course I am tired! I told Artemis to watch her **_little_** _brother_ and told Apollo to listen to his _big_ sister. I said to them I was going to rest a little.

They gave a nod. I made a web hammock near the ceiling in the room next to Leto's bed. The only think that separated us was a sheet of black spider silk. I quickly fell asleep.

I woke up a few hours later to the smell of food, I could not tell you what it was, but it smelt good!

I jumped down soundlessly and went towards the mouth of the cave. I saw Leto skinning some sort of rodent. I cleared my throat and simply looked up and said with a kind smile "Good afternoon Peter!"

"Afternoon Leto, I slept well thank you for asking." I looked around for a second or two before asking "Where are the twins?"

Leto said "They went to the woods to hunt a little more game."

I stretched a bit and asked "Are you sure that is a good idea? I mean they were born yesterday."

Leto chuckled and said "Ok overprotective dad."

I could not help but blush.

Leto rolled her eyes and said "I was only joking Peter! Though you do seem attached to them…" She finished with a smirk.

I sighed and said "I will help them with diner. We will be back before the night descends."

Leto gave a nod and told it me it was ok for me to do so.

I gave her a nod of appreciation and went to hunt the twins of Delos.

Once I was out of sight I shadow traveled into the woods where I sensed movement. I appeared on top of a tree. I looked down and saw Artemis and Apollo trying to get some sort of hare, a type of rabbit. I chuckled when I saw at even at such a young age Artemis was already a good hunter. I smirked as I made a bow out of shadows and I shot three hares with arrows of shadows.

Artemis and Apollo looked up and saw me I smirked and said "What's up?"

Artemis looked at the bow with awe. Apollo looked at the bow with a wistful look on his face. I shook my head and chuckled in amusement. I said with a chuckle "Come on you two, let get the hares and get going home."

I took one and the twins took one apiece. They were very smart and I forgot that they were not even a day old!

We made it to the cave just as Helios was setting to the west falling into the ocean making the sky pink, purple and orange. It was a beautiful sun set, one of the best I have ever seen!

Leto looked up and saw me looking at the sunset she saw it and she too was enchanted by its beauty.

I recovered first and I quickly made my way to the camp fire I made the earth form a hearth. The fire was cheerful.

I cooked the hares while Leto was talking with Apollo and Artemis about the night sky. I saw Artemis staring at the moon. I chuckled and thought ' _Just wait a few millenniums you and Apollo will become the moon and sun. Just wait.'_

When dinner as ready I called them over to the hearth where the food was already served.

I watched them eat the food, but their faced were priceless! They quickly wolfed down their food, and I mean WOLFED! Even Leto ate just about as quickly as she could. I can become a wolf and they ate faster and messier than I normally do as a wolf! I chuckled as they finished the rabbit soup. I thought in amusement " _I have a hare in my soup."_

Artemis gave me puppy eyes and Apollo tried giving me baby eyes, but when you are a teenager it does not work so well. I sighed and I divided my stew into thirds. I gave Leto, Artemis and Apollo a third each. Was I hungry? I am always hungry, accelerated metabolism ensured that. My healing factor when in use requires food and rest. Me using my powers that I am not born with uses a different type of energy. I deiced I would just hunt some food later tonight for myself.

Leto was about to eat when she realized I had yet eaten. She asked me "Aren't you going to eat?"

I said with a shrugged "I am not too hungry tonight, though I am tired. I think I will retire early." I stood up and gave her a shallow bow before walked into the woods next to the cave. I entered the forest's shadow and I disappeared. I used my spider ability to change the color of my skin, which was extremely useful when I was a hero, when I was in war…

I gave a tired sigh as I began to reflect and ruminate about my past life. I shook my head trying to stop the ghosts of the past to haunt me. All of things I should have done, things I could have done, things that I have done. It all comes to haunt me. _I am confused in the present, lost in the future, a prisoner in the past._

I am tired of being lost in my memory, I am held hostage by my own past. I am lost in a sea of self, I am in a storm of emotions that I cannot fathom myself. I am drowning in a pool of despair. It feels like my body is going right, but my soul is being left. I think I am getting a high, but I am really getting a low.

I traded my armguards for a pair of vambraces with the blade hidden. It was a gift from Death Fury also known as Ally. These were not great for battle, but they were good for sneak attacks, but I can take out the blades and that is what makes this so lethal. But the main reason why I wanted this was because I could use my claws and my stingers and say it was a hidden blade.

I made a web near the top of the trees, close to the cave where I fell asleep.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: The Next Morning)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up the next morning feeling the most refreshed than I have in years! I felt great!

I jumped down from the tree and landed on the ground without a sound. Once I landed I stretched and my bones popped from not being in use. I slept like a stone (I wonder if Medusa is around yet?) I walked to the mouth of the cave and I listened in. I heard three unique breathing. Apollo snored rather loudly, Leto was taking deep silent breathes. Artemis had a cute little snore… *face palm* _"I cannot fall for the virgin goddess! I do not care how cute she is! Aphrodite! Get out of my head! You too_ Eros _!"_

I sighed and shook my head. I decided I would just summon some food. I wanted to teach Artemis how to hunt. I know it is pointless, but it will be useful. I want her to be better in this timeline than in the other one.

The smell of food woke Apollo up really quickly He stumbled out of the cave groggily and almost fell into the makeshift hearth. Artemis woke up far more gracefully than her younger brother. I was going to let Leto sleep in as much as possible.

For breakfast I summoned; some deer and some chamois (a type of goat). I was not much into greens, I mean most spiders are carnivorous, as are wolves, some people are as well. So naturally I would rather eat meat rather than some plants, but I am not a picky eater.

Apollo quickly dug in the moment he was awake enough to put food into his mouth. He said with his mouth full of food "Where ig ou meh its?"

I knew what he meant, but I asked "Can he repeat that Apollo WITHOUT food in your mouth?"

Apollo swallowed and said "I asked you; where did you get all of this?"

I chuckled and said "Deer, goat, rabbit, squirrels, and plenty of other animals live here. I got the food so we can eat."

Artemis looked thoughtful for a second.

I asked Artemis "Hey Arty would you like me to show you how to hunt?"

She perked up and grin and jumped up and down like a child "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

I chuckled and said with a smirk "Someone is excited…"

She blushed a brilliant scarlet and began muttering something about self control.

I sighed and said "Artemis, relax. I would like to teach both of you archery, but I would like to teach you how to hunt."

Apollo asked "Hey what about me?!"

I smirked and asked "What about you?"

Apollo stuttered, but could not say a word. I gave him a nod and said "That's what I thought."

I grabbed a plate and put some food on it and I went into the cave to wake Leto and to give her some food."

She was not ready to wake, but I woke her up and made sure she ate.

I knew I was going to have to build a hut maybe a cabin soon. Living in a cave must not be good for her, or for her children. I want to teach the twins archery. I have a long list of 'to dos'.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: Two Week Later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Apollo, Artemis and I finished the cabin. It had four rooms plus a cellar. It was mostly made of wood, but of course I would make part of it as stone, granite and corundum. Those are VERY hard stones and very durable, even more so than marble, but less than a diamond.

The cabin looked normal from the outside, but inside there was stone counters, a stone hearth. There was A LOT of stone, but it was not too much. There was a balance between the warmth of wood and the cool texture of stone.

I made a fire in the hearth and threw in some food and muttered "To Hestia, Poseidon, Hades, Nyx, Tartarus, Erebus, Pontos, Gaea, Helios, Selen, Lelantos, Themis, Tyche, Nike, Nemesis, Horae, Tethys."

I could feel the earth slightly rumble as if it purred. I heard the ocean and sea stir slightly more as if acknowledging the small sacrifice. I felt hope seep into me. I knew they all received it.

Moments later Artemis came in followed by Apollo they were both dragging Leto into their new home, our home. I gave a small smile. I stood up and dusted off my knees and said with a nod of my head "Afternoon Leto."

Leto smiled and gave a nod back.

Apollo dragged Leto into _his_ room, and then he showed her Artemis's then her own room. There was a guest room that faced the sea that would be my room. It was simple a ten by ten room, most of it was made from dark stones that made it look like it was underground, but the window was huge, it took half the wall, it showed part of the sky and the sea.

I plan on making a forge sometime soon. I could make a few actual weapons that others could use. I can summon any material that is in the earth, Underworld, or the Pit. Any type of metal, stone I can find the wood easy enough if I had to.

I must have stared at the hearth for a while because I was brought back when Artemis shook my arm. I looked towards her and gave a warm smile.

She asked me "Anything wrong?"

I chuckled and ruffled her hair knowing she did not like it I said "No, just thinking about the past, and thinking about the future."

Apollo said "Really?! I saw in a dream there was a giant black wolf howling at the moon. I think it means-"

I cut him off and said "You probably saw me. You all know I can turn into a wolf, and I prefer black. Last night was an anniversary of sorts for me."

Apollo asked "What anniversary?"

I gave a low growl and the sea became choppy, the earth rumbled as if giving a low growl, the weather became cloudy and the winds kicked up, the shadows grew and the whole room became darker. The fire burned higher, but it lost its warmth. Ice began to spread from the hearth out.

Artemis took a step back in fear and whispered "Peter…"

This snapped my temporary loss of control of my emotions. I looked at her and the rest of the family and said "My apologies. It still hurts to talk about the past, maybe one day I will reveal the whole tale, the saga of my life, the Epic of the Wanderer."

Leto said calmly "You have done thing wrong. Please stay, there is no need to run. You can stay here."

Artemis gave me a hug and her head buried itself into my chest. I shut my eyes and I could smell the forest in her. She may not have her domains yet, but she still has it within her. I sighed and said "I will stay here, but I will remind you, I am cursed to be the Wanderer." That is half true, I never allow myself to get attached because death comes to all. All but me, I have yet to die, I have but my body lives on as a hollow shell. But I guess that is also a lie, I am feeling more alive than I have in years! I guess I can have an immortal family, they cannot die, no, they can still die, they can fade.

I held Artemis close to my chest and I shut my eyes. I let her go and gave her and to the rest of the family a tired smile, I went to my room and crashed onto the bed. I was out before I could fully sink into the bed.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: One Month Later…)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I made the forge awhile back and I am trying to forge a bow for both Artemis and Apollo. I know they would be happy with anything I gave them, but I want it to be perfect. I am almost finished with the golden bow; I made it out of enchanted gold. Loki is a Norse god of; Magic, Fire, Lies, Mischievous, Chaos, plus several other things. I do not care for magic, but I learned it any way (I was forced). I made the gold bow for Apollo (No duh). I was working with a couple different types of silver for Artemis's bow, I had; Pure Silver and Olympian Sliver. That is all of the known sliver that there is, at least that I know of.

I was using my own forge that was in a cave on the far side of the island. I made this so I could keep this a secret. I have been working all night for the past three weeks. Sure I made ' _us'_ a forge but I needed _my_ own forge.

Anyways I just finished the silver bow, it literally glowed in the darkness of the cave it casted off a slivery glow. If you looked closely you could see the constellations in the design of the bow, if you looked even closer you could see a symbol of a wolf.

I was very proud of my work. They had an unlimited amount of arrows, and for Artemis she can think of different types of arrows and they will appear. Like; fire arrows, broad head, field points, blunt tips, whatever she can think of, but the more practical it is for hunting the easier it is to create.

I also made Artemis a pair of hunting knives made out of the same material as her bow. I also enchanted it, she and only she can wield it, but since I am its creator, I am also to use it. I gave the hunting knives a wolf head on its hilt, one had red ruby as eyes (the right one) the other one had blue sapphire (the left one), the only difference between them was the color of the eyes. They were perfected.

I was actual rather proud of myself, I can't wait till I am able to give them the gift!

I stomped my foot and the cave shifted and it opened up so I could see the light of day. I literally walked up and out of there; remember I was once Spider Man? I made sheaths for the hunting knives and one for both bows. I walked towards where our cabin was. I was in no hurry, I was enjoying the afternoon air. The wind was gently blowing giving me the scent of both the ocean and the forest, the wind changed direction and I could smell Leto cooking lunch. Let's say I forgot I was enjoying the walk. I booked it towards the food.

When I came to the door of the cabin, I knocked, it was a habit from my other life. I could almost hear Artemis roll her eyes and as she said "You don't have to knock Peter!"

I walked in and chuckled "I know, but old habits die hard." I saw Artemis cooking, well helping someone cook at least.

Since I sensed no danger I was not too concerned. I smelled fire and home cooked meals; Hestia. I asked "What are you doing here Lady Hestia?"

Hestia gave me a warm smile, I gave her a nod and a kind smile back. She said "I wanted to see how you were doing."

I chuckled and said "Sorry I have not been around as much as I normally am. I have not been eating much lately…" I thought _"And that is why I am hungry! I have not eaten in over a week!"_

Hestia said in a kind, warm tone "It is fine. I was visiting my nephew and my niece."

I chuckled and said "Well you are a great teacher, I could literally smell the food about a mile and half away!"

Artemis said "I really did not do much…"

I shook my head and said "Believe me, I was once a terrible cook. It took me a very, very long time for me to cook as good as I do now." Well that is only half true; it took me until I got bit by the spider.

Artemis looked slightly more proud of herself. I smiled at her and I could have sworn I saw her blush.

I was about to ask 'where is Apollo'. But before I could open my mouth Apollo came in with a million dollar smile.

I sighed and asked "What's up Apollo?"

He rushed over and gave me a hug. I allowed him to hug me. But I gave a low growl just enough to let him know not to push his luck. He was the only one that could feel it. He said "Peter, I saw you die!"

I sighed and said "Apollo look at me." When he looked at me I used my finger nail to cut my palm, my red blood flowed out of my hand. I asked him "Do you see my blood?"

He gave a nod, but before he could speak I said "I have red blood, the blood of a mortal, the blood of humans. I can and will die. It is only a matter of time."

Apollo opened his mouth, but I put my hand up to silence him. I told him "Stick your hand out." He did so I gently cut the very tip of his finger, only enough to make him bleed his golden blood, Ichor, blood of the immortals. I said to him "You see Apollo you are immortal, even if you should die in battle, you will eventually reform and come back. Should I die, the best I can do is go for a rebirth."

Apollo opened his mouth but I interrupted him before he could say anything "Search within yourself, you know these things to be true." Apollo shut his mouth and I could see him try to process the information I just gave to him. He shook his head in refusal, he just could not accept the fact I was going to die sooner or later.

I glanced at Artemis she had a single tear streak on her face.

I cleared my throat and said "Besides I came here to give you two a gift!"

Apollo being who he is forgot about what we were talking about, or it seemed liked it. I learned a very, very long time ago; that not everything is as it seems.

I walked to the stone part of the house and I gave a gentle tap with my foot and a bow came out in its cover, the cover was made from brown leather but I sew it together with enchanted gold. A made a designs of swans, and ravens (what would in the future be some of his sacred animals).

Apollo took and immediately began jumping up and down in joy. He took the bow and run outside to practise.

I sighed and rolled my eyes and asked with sarcasm thick in my voice "Do you think he is happy with his gift?"

Leto and Artemis chuckled.

I gave a much firmer tap on the stone, and Artemis's bow and her twin hunting knives sprung out of the stone and into my hand. I said with a smirk as I saw Artemis's eyes widen to comical proportions. I presented her with her knives with a slight bow. I also gave her, her bow in its sheath. The sheath was black, dark as night, but I sewed in silver depicting the night sky, it was enchanted to mirror that of the night sky (should someone or something be added onto the sky).

She looked in shock at the beauty of the design of the sheath alone, I could not tell at the time. I was worried that she did not like it. I held my breath as she took out her bow. The moment she touched it, the bow flashed a bright silver casting its light throughout the whole room, soon it dimmed to just a slight glow.

Artemis was utterly speechless, so was I! I did not expect the bow to flash like that! I swallowed nervously and I asked her "Do you like it?"

Artemis said "No."

I gave a nod. I reached for the bow so I could reforge it; she said just before I could reach it she said "I **_LOVE_** it!"

She beamed at me and I just had to smile. I said "If you love this, I hope you will like these too!"

I gave her the twin hunting knives; they too glowed in the room.

She carefully took them out of their sheath as if it was going to break. I chuckled and said "Artemis, those knives cut through stone, I think you can use them without breaking. Besides if they do break they can always be repaired fixed or can be replaced."

She gave me a bone crushing hug and kissed my cheek. Leto watched this whole thing with amusement in her eyes. Our eyes met, at least I know she trusts me.

Artemis quickly pulled out of the hug, much to my disappointment. I hid a sigh well.

I asked with a smile "Who wants to learn how to shot a bow?!"

Artemis asked "Why is your bow?"

I shrugged as I pulled a shadow from the corner of the room and I formed a bow. I said with a smirk "I think this will work."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 10 years)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I now look about thirty maybe thirty – five. I still had all of my strength.

Apollo and Artemis are two of the best archer I have ever seen, even before I taught them, they were deadly accurate; there was hardly anything I could teach them. I taught them how to think about the arrows, but that was about it.

HOWEVER Apollo sucked at hand to hand combat and melee weapons, or he did at first. He is now one of the better ones, with his golden sword. Granted it was a simple xiphos sword.

Artemis was by far her brother's greater. She was not so good with a sword, but she could hold her own against her brother, but what set her apart was her skill in unarmed combat and fighting with melee weapons.

This brings me to the present. I am hiding in the shadows, we are playing a game of hide and seek. I know what you are thinking, real mature, or this is pointless. Yes, but not this. You see I am forcing Artemis to use her natural skill at hunting to find me, once they do, I fight. So far I have yet to lose! I am actually thinking about shutting down even more of my powers.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Third Person Point of View)**

Peter was interrupted out of his internal monologue by his spider sense. He is sooo lucky that his body acts on instinct when he is in danger! The arrow landed where his heart was just a millisecond ago.

Peter stepped into the light he slowly grew his claws, the ones that came out from between the middle finger and the ring finger. The claw was about eight inches long. It was a tannish, brown color. There was no venom or acid on it so that no one would get hurt. He crouched into his former signature crouch. He listened and felt the environment around him.

He did a back flip and landed on the vertical surface of a great Oak to dodge a gold arrow. Peter said with amusement clear in his voice "Missed by Kid! Common you have to try!"

Peter darted out of the forest making a clear path for them to follow. He led them to the sandy beach.

Peter had his claws out still and was waiting for them to come.

Without warning Artemis was upon on him! Peter barely had time to duck and kick to kick at her legs, she jumped over and threw one of her knives. Peter just barely caught the blade, he threw the knife at Apollo pinning his hand to a tree.

Artemis cut clean through his claws. Peter webbed her face blinding her. Peter went to the knife, but he was too slow. She knew he was coming and as he reached she stabbed down.

The knife went straight through his hand. Peter hissed in pain (this was a first for him, between these two anyway).

Artemis twisted and yanked the blade out, as she did this she pulled the webbing out from her eyes. Peter used this brief time period to tackle her, he used his good hand to wrench the knife out of her hand, but at the same time to put his elbow over her throat

Artemis had the look in her eyes that told him she was done. I let her loose, but when I did some blood spattered on her chest.

Artemis saw for the first time my injury that she gave to me.

Peter used my good hand and webbed the knife that pinned Apollo to the tree and pulled it out.

Peter said to Artemis in a calming tone "Relax Arty, I have had far worse than this. You did good."

Artemis shook her head in denial.

Peter sighed and said "Artemis, I have been through war. To be honest she should be proud. Very few beings have even been able to touch me, let alone maim me."

She opened her mouth but Peter cut her off and said "Besides this gives Apollo a chance to use his healing skills."

Artemis still looked doubtful, but Peter kissed her on the cheek. The two of them blushed a brilliant scarlet. Apollo cleared his throat being them back to the real world.

Apollo healed both; his own and has well as for Peter's hand.

Peter said a quick thank you before looking towards the west. Peter said quietly "Artemis, Apollo I need to speak with you two and Leto tonight."

They could tell by the tone it was very important. They both gave a nod before racing off towards the cabin.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 4 Hours Later…)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I could feel the time for Artemis and Apollo time to leave was drawing near. I need to leave if I am to not tempt fate more than my existence does.

I walked, actually walked not run, not Shadow Travel, not Vapor Travel, not traveling through the earth. I simply walked enjoying the cool of the night. The sky was clear and the sea was gently slapping the rocky side of the island.

I made it to our home. It still feels weird to even think that, let alone say that out loud.

I knocked on the door out of habit, though I know I need not do that.

Leto said "Come in!"

I walked into the room.

The room seemed to darken, as if the shadows sensed my negative and dark emotions.

All laughter and talking stopped as they turned their undivided attention on me.

I cleared my throat and said "The time of our departure draws nigh."

Artemis's eyes widen, and tears threaten to break out.

I said calmly "This has nothing to do with you, any of you. I am cursed to be the Wanderer. We will see each other again. I will promise you that much. Just promise me you will not forget me." I looked into Artemis's eyes.

Apollo said in a grave voice "Do what you need to do…. Brother."

I gave him a nod and I turned to Leto and said "Thank you for everything you have ever done for me."

Leto gave me a teary eyed response.

I walked towards Artemis and I whispered in her ear "Promise me you will wait for me. Promise me you will not forget me. I promise I love, I promise to only do what I think is best."

Artemis whispered "I do. I promise…"

I kissed her on the cheek and said "Something to remember me by…" The shadows rose up and swallowed me.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 100 Years)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I visited Zoe and her sister for a couple of decades and I went to see _Calypso_ for a couple of decades. I spoke with them and just hung out.

I visited Hades and of course Tartarus as well as the Five Rivers of the Underworld and their nymphs.

I gave Apollo a prophecy concerning the humans who were begining to rise.

" _The rise of man shall be the fall of many, but the hope of all!"_

I know it did not rhyme or anything but it was true.

I gently guided the future from the background.

I was always in the background.

I gained a few more blessing as the age began to change, I was blessed by; Thanatos, Hephaestus, Athena, Ares, Aphrodite, Apollo and Artemis.

I accepted the blessing from Ares though I did not like him. I accepted it because I had the seal of Olympus.

Throughout time I gently guided and prompted humans and gods alike.

When the Romans took over, I went by a different name and a different look; Perseus. I had black hair, red eyes and a pale completion.

I trained the whole time.

(Line Break)

(Time Skip: 2,500 years)

(Death Fury's Point of View)

It was time for Peter to 'die'. He needed to go for a rebirth, though not directly. I will reverse his age to that of near a newborn then I will either give him to a childless couple who all they want is a child. Or I would give him to an orphanage.

I chose to give him to a single lady. She was a little down on her luck, so I gave her a child to bring a little joy in her life. Peter will not have any memory of his past life till he is between 12 and 21 years old. Though certain things may jog memories of old, but I will seem like a dream.

I let go of Peter and I had to watch from the background.

I sealed away most of his powers, but I kept the blessings of; Hades, Zeus, Poseidon, and Mars.

I used the mist to make believe Hades was his great grandfather, Zeus raped Hades' daughter, who died in child birth due to a curse by Hera. The girl had a brother who married a daughter of Mars, but they were killed, but Mars looked at his niece and he blessed her children, who were brother and sister. The sister was a few years older than the brother. The mother was murdered in front of the children's eyes by a step father (Mars cursed him in the next battle, which happened to be when the sister knocked him down, and he hit his head killing him, but they did not know that) the sister was murdered in front of her brother by the Manticore/

I know the past is dark, but if Peter is to be as strong as he needs to be he needs to have a reason to have these extra powers…

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Well here is another chapter!**

 **I broke 10,000 words on this chapter! I broke my record!**

 **Please leave a review, especially you authors!**

 **Death Fury out!**

 **PS the story truly begins in the next chapter!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not and will not own anything, all rights go to; Disney, Marvel and to Stan Lee, as well has for Rick Riordan!**

 **The story truly begins in this chapter!**

 **I would like to explain a few things before this story get too far.**

 **Peter will have ALL of his powers, but they will be more passive i.e. Nyx's bless will be in effect as is Artemis's, but due to Hades' domain of shadows, people will assume because the night is dark and shadows are stronger at night so he is too also.**

 **Gaia's bless in still in effect because Poseidon, and Hades control some of the earth (Poseidon: Earth Shaker)**

 **Peter will remain immune to the cold and to heat due to all of his blessing, but due to Poseidon's heat resistance and because the ocean in known to be cold. Peter can control water; any water, anywhere.**

 **Peter will have some dominion over monsters (Hades and Tartarus) (especially Hell Hounds) except for those who side with Kronos or are powerful enough to think on their own.**

 **He will have control over the dead; Hades, Ares, Thanatos**

 **However control over; Light, Fire, and other things will have to wait till a little. BUT he will still have his "Danger Sense" and his "Spider Sense" though the spider sense does not play a part in this chapter. The story begins…**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(** **Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up groggily to the sound of my alarm clock. I sat up in bed and stretched. I gave a huge yawn before I rolled out of bed and landed on my feet. I remember dreaming, but I can't remember the dream… I am drenched in sweat, so I assume that either it was a cold sweat from a nightmare, or I simply overheated and I sweated. I sat down on the edge of the bed and I pinched the bridge of my nose. I gave a sigh as I went into the bathroom to get my morning routine started. I took a quick shower; the shower was neutral in temperature. Once I got out of the shower I looked into the mirror as I fingered one of my many scars that littered all over my body.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Flash Back)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

 _Today is my fifth birthday and my sister and I were looking forward towards Mom letting us go camping on the beach near the Pacific Ocean where the sea stags stood tall and proud and the forests was thick and full of game. We go there for my birthday every year. For my sister's birthday we go a little further south were the surfing was better. My sister's name was Amy. Amy is French but it comes from Latin meaning "Beloved". She certainly was beloved by both me and our mother. My mom's name was Alice, meaning "Noble". Me? I am Peter Perseus. Ok anyways…. But this birthday was to be the first yet._

 _My stepfather, Charles who was a former marine, was drunk, well drunker and meaner than normal._

 _My sister was four years older than I was. She was at school and Charles actually came early…_

 _I tried hiding in my room under my bed._

 _I heard him open my door, I held my breath and shut my eyes… waiting for him to leave. I heard the door open and shut, but I could just feel something was not right. I felt it in my gut, it was a nauseous feeling, it was a dull ache in my stomach. I knew that something was wrong. My mom and sister have always told me to follow my instincts and to my gut._

 _Without warning I felt someone jerking me out from under the bed. I felt my knees crack from the angle I was being jerk. I bit the inside of my cheek not to scream. I will not give this "monster" the satisfaction of it!_

 _Charles growled and I could smell ale on his breathe. He was short and fat. He stood about five foot six inches and was four feet wide. He smelt like bad alcohol, moldy garlic, covered in dirty underwear. He was bald on his head, but everywhere else he was covered in thick course brown hair. Charles growled at me and said "Time to play…" He said with an evil light in his eyes._

 _I did nothing in response I gave him a blank, stoic face. He growled and slapped me with the back of his hand, his ring cut into my left cheek. He hit me hard enough to send me tumbling to the ground._

 _Once I was on the ground he began to kick me in the ribs. I felt my ribs break again. A few tears mangled with the blood running down my cheek._

 _Charles pulled out a rusty blade and said "Let's see what we can draw shall we?"_

 _I tried to take a step back, but he grabbed my hair and jerk, I felt my neck pop, somehow my neck did not break._

 _He began to drag me down into the cellar where he would tie me up._

 _I began to resist he stabbed me in the gut, just missing my organs. I doubled over in pain as I let out a loud groan. I whispered "I hate you!"_

 _Charles smirked darkly and said "So you CAN talk… Let's see how long it takes to have you crying for your mommy!"_

 _He slammed the butt end of the knife on my head and my world faded into darkness. I welcomed the numb feeling of being unconscious. I began to feel again, a groan escaped my lips. As soon as it so I felt Charles grabbed me by my face and said with a dark growl with an evil light in his eyes "I am going to make you mine…"_

 _I spit in his eye._

 _Instead of slapping or hurting me he laughed and said "I am going to have a fun time breaking you in…" He went to the table and pulled out a bull whip. I whimpered slightly knowing the pain of the whip. HE grinned and said "I see you love the whip. This is just foreplay…"_

 _I struggled against the strong rope that bond me just above the ground. They bit into my wrist, cutting off circulation. My wrists began to bleed as I began to struggle._

 _He brought back the whip and *CRACK* the first strike dug right on my spine. I choked back a cry. ***CRACK* *CRACK* *CRACK*** the blows kept coming I felt myself grow faint from the blood loss. I lost my voice when he poured vinegar on my back and literally rubbed salt into my wounds on my back._

 _He walked to my front and he began to beat me, my ribs were all broke. He pretty much left my face untouched, but my body… that is a completely different story._

 _Charles said "Looks like I get have you the fun way."_

 _I gave him the best defiant look I could muster._

 _I felt Charles go behind me and I felt my pants drop…_

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 3 Hours Later)**

 **(Still Flash Back)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

 _I was dragged feet first up the stairs. I did not have any strength left. My head banged against the steps. I felt so dirt, filthy, used. I lost something that no one should have lost._

 _Charles threw me onto my bed and said with a snarl "Tell anyone of this and I will kill you…"_

 _I was about to say "Good!"_

 _But he continued and said "And your mother, sister and whoever you tell."_

 _I knew I was good as dead. I barely get enough to eat, if it was not for mom and my sister Amy. I would be dead._

 _Charles left the room, but not before he kicked me in the head knocking me out into blissful darkness._

 _I woke up a few hours later to my sister's concerned eyes. The eyes was somewhere between a ocean blue and an electric blue. She was looking into my eyes that were an icy blue with a hint of greens. Amy asked "Are you ok?!"_

 _I shook my head 'no'._

 _Amy brushed my hair out of my eyes and kissed me on my forehead and said "Happy birthday little brother!"_

 _I smiled weakly then cuddled closer into her body. She was always there for me. Mom was when she could, but she was unable to for the most part, always at work always trying to find new jobs._

 _Amy sighed as she gently began to clean my beating. She knew about it, but I begged her not to tell anyone. I told her what Charles told me. She knew that he meant every word of it._

 _I fell asleep in my sister's arms…_

 _When I woke up I heard shouting down stairs. I snuck down stairs to see my mom and Charles fighting. Amy was standing behind mom._

 _Charles growled and said "I am the **MAN** of the house! My word is law!" He slapped my mother. I felt my rage go almost complete unbridled._

 _My mother growled and stood tell, I could smell ozone and I saw the shadows darken. My mother turned to Charles, but before she could say a thing he shot her in the head. Blood spattered all over the walls. I let out a primeval roar. Charles turned around to me and pointed the gun at me, but my sister pushed him away and towards the heart were he tripped over his own feet because he was drunk, he began to fell into the hearth, were I swear I saw someone in with a look of absolute hate. Amy grabbed my hand and began to pull me out of the house._

 _She run outside dragging me along I said to her "Stop."_

 _She stopped and about to ask why when right in front of us was a bear trap. She gave me a grateful look. I asked her "What do we do now?"_

 _Amy gave me a forced sad smile and said "I don't know. You know what? We can do whatever we want now!"_

 _I wished I could have been happy, but all I felt was numb… I could not feel anything. My emotions were murdered. I was unable to feel anything._

 _Amy hugged me close and started to rock back and forth trying to sooth me._

 _I looked behind us and the house that we grew up in was up in flames. My past, everything was lost. All of have now is my sister. I am going to protect her with everything I got!_

 _Amy began to hum a soft tune, soon I was falling asleep…_

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 2 Years Later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

 **(Flash Back still)**

 _Amy and I have been living alone together for the past two years._

 _Over the two years I am now seven years old and Amy is almost twelve years old._

 _Over the past two years we have seen and fought against giant demon dogs (Hell Hounds) several snake ladies things (dracanae), And some weird girl, donkey and prosthetic leg thing (empousai)._

 _We learned that water could heal us as well as control it. We could call down lightning. I could shake the earth and use shadows. She could make the dead rise and control them, as well as using shadows. We both could summon precious metals._

 _Amy learned and taught me about demigods and the whole Greek Mythology._

 _She thought we were children of Poseidon because of the water gift, but the dead is not of Poseidon, it is of Hades, ruler of the Underworld and the dead._

 _Whoever child we were I hated them. They never help us. They have done nothing for us. They never said a word to us!_

 _I had the fatal flaws of; Grudges, Untrusting, and Loyalty_

 _Amy had to fatal flaw of; Loyalty and Anger_

 _However, that all changed when my sister was killed by the Manticore. She jumped in the way of the poised barbed aimed for my heart. With her final breath she made me promise her to live for her and for mom._

 _She made me promise to become a hero and not go towards the darkness. I gave her my word. When she died I felt all of my rage go. It was more than when Charles murdered my mom. The earth shook, the shadows darkened and grew, the ocean began to roar and beat the surf with rage. Lightning flashed angrily across the sky. I gave a yell as I felt a sharp pain in my gut._

 _The Manticore turned to gold dust by a huge bolt of lightning coupled with shadows smothering him into nothing. I was alone, completely alone… I had no one but myself. I lost everything. I felt shattered and empty. I bent down and picked up a gold coin, I put it into Amy's mouth remembering the ferry man from Greek Mythology._

 _I wiped some tears out of my eyes. I felt drained and exhausted. The storms slowly died down as I began to fall into a deep dreamless state…_

 _ **(Line Break)**_

 _ **(End of Flash Back)**_

 _ **(Present)**_

 _ **(Peter Point of View)**_

 _Anyway that was four years ago, I am almost twelve in fact tomorrow is my twelfth birthday, Yay me (note the sarcasm)! I got out of my dorm room and skipped breakfast completely as I went towards my first class, history. I was actually good at this. I stopped by my locker to grab the history textbook. I I looked into my reflection I saw my eyes were closer to a dark ocean blue, cold and wild. There was still a green hue to it, but it faded more and more. My hair was a dark auburn, almost a chocolate brown. My sister had the best tan. Me? I have a pale tan. I have tan, but I seldom get direct sunlight. I was wearing black military combat boots; I had a silver knife in both of the boots in case I saw a monster. I have not seen any around me, but you can never be too safe, I wore a black trench coat with a hood. I wore thick black leather jeans. I had two short swords; both of them were some sort of bronze, they would not affect normal things like bear, humans or anything like that, but it worked well on monsters of all sorts. They were on my back covered by the trench coat. I sat in my dark corner of the room. As I neared the corner the shadows seemed happy to see me. As I sat down it darken the room slightly, since I was the only one here no one else could notice the change. I began to do the lesson that was due today. I finished the lesson just as people began to rush in before the bell rings to start the class. I pulled out a MP3 and hit the first song that came on: **Boulevard of Broken Dreams ** by **Green Day**_

 _I walk a lonely road_

 _The only one that I have ever known_

 _Don't know where it goes_

 _But it's only me, and I walk alone_

 _I walk this empty street_

 _On the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _Where the city sleeps_

 _And I'm the only one, and I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _I walk alone and I walk a_

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

 _Ah ah ah ah ah_

 _Ah ah ah ah ah_

 _I'm walking down the line_

 _That divides me somewhere in my mind_

 _On the border line of the edge_

 _And where I walk alone_

 _Read between the lines_

 _What's fucked up and every thing's all right_

 _Check my vital signs to know I'm still alive_

 _And I walk alone_

 _I walk alone, I walk alone_

 _I walk alone and I walk a_

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

 _Ah ah ah ah ah_

 _Ah ah ah ah ah_

 _I walk alone, I walk a_

 _I walk this empty street_

 _On the boulevard of broken dreams_

 _Where the city sleeps_

 _And I'm the only one, and I walk alone_

 _My shadow's the only one that walks beside me_

 _My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating_

 _Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me_

 _Till then I walk alone_

I finished my work and I walked towards the desk, I placed my papers in the completed pile and I left the room before the teacher came in. I made my way towards torture; English… I HATE English! I sat in the back corner where I noticed two new kids, one smelled like a goat, the other smelt similar to my sister, he smelt like the sea! He also smelled of alcohol and dirty laundry. I arched an eyebrow but that went unseen.

I then unleashed some of my scent to see if I could get their attention. I finished the class I walked up to the newbies and the one that smelled like a goat flinched. He turned around and saw me. He backed up in fear. I took a step back in said in a low tone "Talk with me after school." With that I disappeared among the flood of students. I had a gut feeling I would need to eat now otherwise I will not be able to later. As I walked through the school, people gave me a wide berth. People usually feared me, with good reason. I seldom spoke, my glare made even the teachers back down. I could do what I want when I want. I could skip a day and no one would say a word. Heck even if they did, I live alone, but they do not know it!

I saw them at lunch, I focused on my scent, I pulled out the ocean scent and the ozone, I hide the smell of death and the dead. As I did so I looked into the glass window, my eyes had more green in them, a sea green, but it was still mostly an ocean blue. The boy with a perfect sun tan, wild black hair and he had vibrant sea green eyes smiled at me and said "Percy Jackson." He held out his hand.

I took it and said "Peter Perseus."

Percy asked "Perseus?"

I rolled my eyes and said "Yes Perseus, but do not call me Percy!"

Percy chuckled and said "Then do not call me Perseus, call me Percy!"

I chuckled for the first time in years! I had a feeling that this boy would bring A LOT of trouble and adventure with him. I looked at the small African American that smelled like a goat.

He stood up and said "I am Grover Underwood."

I gently shook his hand. The lunch bell rang signaling that lunch was over. Percy asked "What class is next?"

I shrugged not caring.

Grover said "Latin."

I sighed and thought _"I would prefer Greek."_

Grover said "Come on you two!" I rolled my eyes not really caring, besides I should have math now, not that it mattered to me.

Percy, Grover and I made it to Latin where we had a new teacher who smelt like a horse, his name was Mr. Brunner. Mr. Brunner and I made eye contact. I could see thousands of years in his eyes.

I smelt the goat boy and now the horse man. I gave a low growl that Grover and Mr. Brunner heard. I thought the next one I would see would be the Minotaur; the bull man! Mr. Brunner gave me a look and said "Stay with me after class, Peter."

I chuckled and said "We will see Mr. Brunner, we will see." I took my chair in the back of the corner where I usually sat.

I began to think of what I was feeling. I felt connected to Percy, but I never met him before in my life! I growled at myself and thought "It must be a trick in the Mist!" I could not allow myself get attached to anyone or anything, that only leads to bad things. Class was over after an hour, I simply shadow traveled into the bathroom from my chair. I walked out of the stall and I washed my hands, dried them and walked out as if nothing was wrong.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 9 Months Later….)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Today is the day of the field trip. I was not excited, but it was almost the end of the year, even then I was not too thrilled. At least I had a few weeks left with Percy and Grover. I knew I could easily go anywhere I wanted. We (Percy, Grover and I) sat in the back of the bus. I could feel a monster nearby; I think it is a Hades thing. It was little danger to me, but I feel as though it is directed towards Percy.

Mr. Brunner said "Peter, Percy, this picture depicts what?"

I gestured for Percy to go, he gave me a half hearted glare, I rolled my eyes in response.

He said something like "Kronos ate his children, they fought a war. The gods won the Titans."

I cleared my throat. Mr. Brunner said "Peter can you explain this?" I sighed and said "This depicts the tale of Kronos King of the Titans, Lord of Time! He ate his offspring because of a prophecy that said his children would overthrow him, much like he did to his father. He and his wife, Rhea, gave birth to Hestia. Hestia was the first born of the gods. Kronos did not swallow her right away. A few centuries later, Hades was born, that was when paranoia set in. He swallowed up his children. He had four others, Hestia, Hades, Demeter, Poseidon and Hera. Rhea hid the youngest child Zeus; she fed Kronos a rock instead. Was Zeus that ugly? Or was Kronos just stupid? Anyways…. Rhea hid Zeus where I believe was Crete, where he was trained. There are several legends; I like the one where The Wanderer trained him. Years later Zeus poised Kronos with bad wine and mustard making him throw up the children. There was a war that lasted several centuries. It ended with the Olympians winning the war. The Wander accepted the blessing from them. He was the first being to receive such a blessing. He was mortal and he wandered westward."

Mr. Brunner looked at me and said "Correct…" He looked around and asked "Why would this matter nowadays? How can we apply this today?"

I sighed and said "A few things; One, trying to change the future, trying to change fate is what causes your down fall. Two Karma what comes around goes around. Three, paranoia can be deadly."

Mr. Brunner gave me a nod and said "You are correct."

I gave him a nod in return.

Nancy coughed, muttered "Greek geek alert!"

I rolled my eyes and asked "Mr. Brunner should there not be anything else besides legends about The Wander? "

Mr. Brunner said "He had a strange request, he wished to remain anonymous, yet not to be forgotten."

I gave him a nod. I looked at Percy he was staring into space in deep thought. Mr. Brunner said "On that uplifting note I think it is time for lunch."

I was not hungry so I gave my food to Grover who was more than happy to eat it. Nancy tried to pick on Grover, key word tried, but one glare sent her quickly away.

Mrs. Dobbs came to Percy and I. She was the Pre - Algebra teacher at Yancy Academy. She said "Come here honey…"

Percy asked "What did I do this time? I did nothing wrong!"

I put my hand on Percy's shoulder to calm him down. I looked at her and I realized that SHE **WAS** the monster! I said to Percy "Hey Perse, can you get my a water bottle from the vending machine?" I tossed him a ten dollar bill.

He gave a nod and quickly walked off.

Mrs. Dobbs asked me "How well do you know Percy Peter?"

I growled "I know better than to speak about my friends." I unleashed my dark scent, the scent of Hades. Mrs. Dobbs staggered backwards.

Then she said with her mouth agape "A young master?"

I growled but did not say a word. I hide my scent to the standard smell. Percy handed me the water battle and he sipped on some diet coke.

Mrs. Dobbs asked "Can I see you alone Percy?" She asked while looking at me. I gave them both a single nod. They left and I shadowed them, pun intended. I walked from shadow to shadow being invisible as I did so. I heard Mrs. Dobbs screech "WHERE IS IT?!"

Mr. Brunner threw a pen at Percy; I threw my silver knife, hitting Mrs. Dobbs in the heat, while at the same time Percy cutting her in half. My knife landed in the shadows of the far corner and I transported it to myself. I walked out of the shadows. I saw one of the Kindly Ones, one of the Three Furies. This was not good! Not good at all!

Percy asked me "Did you see that?!"

I gave him a grim nod and said "That bat creature. Yes I did. I also saw the pen turn into a sword and back into pen."

"What do we do now?" Percy asked me.

I told him "Try to forget it, and if you can't. I think we should stay together for a while. We might see more things of that short."

Percy gave a shaky nod. He was clearly shaken up and almost in shock. He looked at me and asked "Aren't you afraid, or nervous?"

I chuckle a dark humorless laugh and said to him "Percy, I watched my own mother's head blown to bits by my step father. I watched my sister murdered as I held her hand just before she died…" I swallowed a lump and said "Percy, I have lived on my own since I was about seven. Alone… Or at least I thought I was alone, I found you, you and Grover. You are the only friend I have ever had. It feels as though you are my brother. The brother I never had."

Percy looked shocked he began to stutter trying to come up with something intelligent, but nothing would come out. I placed a hand on his shoulder. I said calmly "There is no need to say anything, there is nothing to be said."

Percy gave me a look of sympathy. I gave a low growl and said "I need not anyone's pity!" The shadows in the room darken in my rage. I took a few calming breathes before saying to Percy "Percy, my brother. I hate being pitied. I hate being underestimated. I hate accepting help. I hate feeling weak and defenseless. I have not told my story to anyone before, you are the first very person I have told." I walked out of the room leave behind a bewildered Percy Jackson.

I heard Percy running to catch up. I slowed as he got close. We walked a few seconds in awkward silence until Percy asked "Summer is almost here, I was wondering if you would like-"

I held my hand up without turning around. I took a deep breath before turning around and saying "Percy…"

He gave me a nod.

I said to him "I would greatly appreciate it if you tell no one of this, except _**MAYBE**_ your mother; Sally." Percy opened his mouth to ask something I cut him off and said "If you are wanting to know how I got your mother's name, you talk in your sleep, and you drool rivers of saliva"

Percy closed him mouth and turn a bit pink from embarrassment. I chuckled as I left him speechless. We walked out of the museum and into the open air; I could feel the tension in the sky and in the ocean. I knew Zeus and Poseidon was fighting worse than normal, as if war could break out at any moment.

Percy felt something off as the weather changed. I chuckled and I slung my arm around his shoulder and said "You best keep that pen / sword with you at all times."

Percy was about to ask me a question when Nancy walked up to us and said "I hope Mrs. Kerr taught you a lesson!" Percy opened his mouth to probably asked who was Mrs. Kerr, but I cut him off again (sorry bud!) and I told her "You know Nancy, Ms. Kerr is actually too nice." I gave her a smirk and a wink.

She blushed. I mentally face palmed she had a crush on either me or Percy, maybe the two of us. Why did I not realize this earlier?! Oh well, at least she is flustered and walked away from us!

Percy asked "Who IS Mrs. Kerr? What did you do to Nancy?"

I rolled my eyes and said "I will tell you when you are ready about both questions." I walked into the crowd of kids where I disappeared from his view… Percy was too confused to follow. I walked into a nearby alley that was dark. I shadow traveled to my dorm. I came out of my dark closet. I went to my bed and flopped down. I was too drained to even think too much. I fell asleep clothes and all face down on the twin sized bed.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: One Month)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

It has been about a month since the Mrs. Dobb's attack. I have been having nightmares about that. I also have been having nightmares about a horse, an eagle and a voice underground. I woke up with night sweat quite often. At least I could finally go home and see my mom! Call me a mama's boy, I don't care! As I thought about being excited about seeing my mom, I felt slightly guilty, **AT LEAST** I had a mom that cared. Peter he had nothing but himself…

I always wondered why we always studied at my and Grover's room. Now that I think about it, maybe he lived on the streets? Maybe I can convince Mom to help Peter. I know she will be more than happy to help him, the problem is my step father; Gabe Ugliano, or as I like to call him Smelly Gabe. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in dirty gym shorts.

I hated Gabe! He was a drunk and a gambler. He was mean, but I guess I still am lucky. I thought Gabe was abusive, but hearing Peter's short version of his story I feel very lucky and I thought maybe Gabe is not ALL that bad… At least today is the last day of school.

I was at Latin Class when Mr. Brunner called me up. So I went up."Percy," he said to me. 'Don't be discouraged about leaving Yancy. It's… it's for the best." His tone was kind, but the words still embarrassed me. Even though he was speaking quietly, the other kids finishing the test could hear. Nancy smirked at me and made sarcastic little kissing motions with her lips.

I mumbled, "Okay, sir."

"I mean…" Mr. Brunner wheeled his chair back and forth, like he wasn't sure what to say. "This

Is not the right place for you. It was only a matter of time."

My eyes stung.

Here was my favorite teacher, in front of the class, telling me I couldn't handle it. After saying he believed in me all year, now he was telling me I was destined to get kicked out.

"Right…"I said, trembling.

"No, no," Mr. Brunner said. "Oh, confound it all. What I'm trying to say… you're not normal, Percy.

That's nothing to be –"

"Thanks," I blurted. "Thanks a lot, sir, for reminding me."

"Percy –"

But I was already gone. I rushed out and went into my room where I began throwing my clothes into a suitcase. Who cares if I ditch the last day! I already failed! My anger was beginning to get the better of me I calmed down a little. Grover and I both had a ticket to the same bus.

He'd booked a ticket to Manhattan on the same Grey Hound as I had, so there we were, together again, heading into the city.

During the whole bus ride, Grover kept glancing nervously down the aisle, watching the other passengers. It occurred to me that he had always acted nervous and fidgety when we left Yancy, as if he expected something bad to happen. Before, I'd always assumed he was worried about getting teased. But there was nobody to tease him on the Grey Hound. Finally I could not stand it anymore. I said, "Looking for Kindly Ones?"

Grover nearly jumped out of his seat. "Wha – what do you mean?"

I confessed about eavesdropping on him and Mr. Brunner the night before the exam.

Grover's eye twitched. "How much did you hear?"

"Oh… not much. What's the summer-solstice deadline?"

He winced. "Look, Percy… I was just worried for you, see? I mean, hallucinating about demon math teachers…"

"Grover –"

"And I was telling Mr. Brunner that maybe you were overstressed or something, because there was no such person as Mrs. Dodd, and…"

"Grover, you're a really, really bad liar." His ears turned pink at this

From his shirt pocket, he fished out a grubby business card. "Just take this, okay? In case you need me this summer"

The card was in fancy script, which was murder on my dyslexic eyes, but I finally made out

Something like:

 _Grover Underwood, Keeper_

 _Half-Blood Hill_

 _Long Island, New York_

 _(800)009-0009_

"What's Half –"

"Don't say it aloud!" he yelped. "That's my, um… summer address."

My heart sank. Grover had a summer home. I would never considered that his family might be as rich as the others at Yancy. "Okay," I said glumly. "So, like, if I want to come visit your mansion."

He nodded. "Or… or if you need me."

"Why would I need you?" It came out a lot harsher than I meant it too.

Grover blushed right down to his Adam's apple. "Look, Percy, the truth is, I – I kind of have to protect you."

I stared at him. All year long, I had gotten in fights keeping bullies away from him. I had lost sleep worrying that he would get beaten up next year without me. And here he was acting like he was the one who defended me.

"Grover," I said, "What exactly are you protecting me from?"

There was a huge grinding noise under our feet. Black smoke poured from the dashboard and the whole bus filled with a smell like rotten eggs. The driver cursed and limped the Grey Hound over to the side of the highway. After a few minutes clanking around in the engine compartment, the driver announced that we'd all have to get off. Grover and I filed outside with everybody else. We were on a stretch of country road no place you'd notice if you didn't break down there. On our side of the highway was nothing but maple trees and litter from passing cars. On the other side, across four lanes of asphalt shimmering with afternoon heat was an old-fashioned fruit stand.

The stuff on sale looked really good: heaping boxes of blood-red cherries and apples, walnuts and apricots, jugs of cider in a claw-foot tub full of ice. There were no customers, just three old ladies sitting in rocking chairs in the shade of a maple tree, knitting the biggest pair of socks I'd ever seen.

I mean these socks were the size of sweaters, but they were clearly socks. The lady on the right knitted one of them. The lady on the left knitted the other. The lady in the middle held an enormous basket of electric-blue yarn. All three women looked ancient, with pale faces wrinkled like fruit leather, silver hair tied back in white bandannas, bony arms sticking out of bleached cotton dresses. The weirdest thing was, they seemed to be looking right at me. I looked over at Grover to say something about this and saw that the blood had drained from his face. His nose was twitching.

"Grover?" I said. "Hey, man –"

"Tell me they are not looking at you. They are. Aren't they?"

"Yeah. Weird huh? You think those socks would fit me?"

"Not funny, Percy. Not funny at all." He said to me.

The old lady in the middle took out a huge pair of scissors – gold and silver, long-bladed, like shears. I heard Grover catch his breath.

"We are getting on the bus." Grover told me. "Come on."

"What?" I said. "It is like a thousand degrees in there!"

"Come on!" He forced open the door and climbed inside, but I stayed back. Across the road, the old ladies were still watching me. The middle one cut the yarn, and I swear I could hear that snip across four lanes of traffic. Her two friends balled up the electric-blue socks, leaving me wondering who they could possibly be for Sasquatch or Godzilla.

At the rear of the bus, the driver wrenched a big chunk of smoking metal out of the engine compartment. The bus shuddered, and the engine roared back to life. The passengers cheered.

"Darn right!" yelled the driver. He slapped the bus with his hat. "Everybody back on board!"

Once we got going. I started feeling feverish, as if I had caught the flu.

Grover did not look much better. He was shivering and his teeth were chattering.

I spoke to him "Grover?"

"Yeah?" was his reply.

"What are you not telling me?"

He dabbed his forehead with his shirt sleeve. "Percy, what did you see back at the fruit stand?"

"You mean the old ladies? What is it about them, man? They're not like… Mrs. Dodd, are they?"

His expression was hard to read, but I got the feeling that the fruit-stand ladies were something much, much worse than Mrs. Dodd. He said, "Just tell me what you saw."

I told him what I saw "The middle one took out her scissors, and she cut the yarn."

He closed his eyes and made a gesture with his fingers that might've been crossing himself, but it was not. It was something else, something almost older. He said, "You saw her snip the cord."

"Yeah…. So?" But even as I said it, I knew it was a big deal.

"This is not happening,"Grover mumbled. He started chewing at his thumb. "I do not want this to be like the last time!"

"What last time?" I asked, but he ignored me and continued his rant.

"Always sixth grade, they never get past sixth."

"Grover," I said, because he was really starting to scare me. "What are you talking about?"

"Let me walk you home from the bus station. Promise me."

This seemed like a strange request to me, but I promised he could.

"Is this like a superstition or something?" I asked.

No answer.

"Grover that snipping of the yarn. Does that mean somebody is going to die?"

He looked at me mournfully, like he was already picking the kind of flowers I'd like best on my coffin.

I ditched Grover as soon as we got to the bus terminal. I know, I know. It was rude. But Grover was freaking me out, looking at me like I was a dead man, muttering, "Why does this always happen?" and, "Why does it always have to be sixth grade?"

Whenever he got upset, Grover's bladder acted up, so I was not surprised when, as soon as we got off the bus, he made me promise to wait for him, then made a beeline for the restroom. Instead of waiting, I got my suitcase, slipped outside, and caught the first taxi uptown. "East One Hundred and Fourth and First Avenue," I told the driver.

A word about my mother, before you meet her.

Her name is Sally Jackson and she's the best person in the world, which just proves my theory that the best people have the most rotten and the worst luck. Her own parents died in a plane crash when she was five, and she was raised by an uncle who didn't care much about her. She wanted to be a novelist, so she spent high school working to save enough money for a college with a good creative writing program.

Then her uncle got cancer, and she had to quit school in her senior year to take care of him. After he died, she was left with no money, no family and no diploma. The only good break she ever got was meeting my dad. I don't have any memories of him, just this sort of warm glow, maybe the barest trace of his smile. My mom doesn't like to talk about him because it makes her sad. She has no pictures. See, they weren't married. She told me he was rich and important, and their relationship was a secret. Then one day, he set sail across the Atlantic on some important journey, and he never came back.

Lost at sea, my mom told me. Not dead. Lost at sea.

She worked odd jobs, took night classes to get her high school diploma, and raised me on her own. She never complained or got mad. Not even once. But I knew I wasn't an easy kid. Finally, she married Gabe Ugliano, who was nice the first thirty seconds we knew him, then showed his true colors as a world-class jerk. When I was young, I nicknamed him Smelly Gabe. I'm sorry, but it's the truth. The guy reeked like moldy garlic pizza wrapped in gym shorts. Between the two of us, we made my mom's life pretty hard. The way Smelly Gabe treated her, the way he and I got along… well, when I came home is a good example. I walked into our little apartment, hoping my mom would be home from work. Instead, Smelly Gabe was in the living room, playing poker with his buddies. The television was blaring. Crisps and beer cans were strewn all over the carpet. Hardly looking up, he said around his cigar, "So, you are home"

"Where is my mom?" I asked.

"Working," he said. "You got any cash?"

That was it. No Welcome back. Good to see you. How has your life been the last six months? Gabe had put on weight. He looked like a tuskless walrus in thrift-store clothes. He had about three hairs on his head, all combed over his bald scalp, as if that made him handsome or something. He managed the Electronics Mega-Mart in Queens, but he stayed home most of the time. I don't know why he hadn't been fired long before. He just kept on collecting pay cheques, spending the money on cigars that made me nauseous, and on beer, of course. Always beer. Whenever I was home, he expected me to provide his gambling funds. He called that our 'guy secret'. Meaning, if I told my mom, he would punch my lights out (Which he did once to prove a point).

"I don't have any money."' I told him.

He raised a greasy eyebrow. Gabe could sniff out money like a bloodhound, which was surprising, since his own smell should've covered up everything else.

"You took a taxi from the bus station,"' he said. "Probably paid with a twenty. Got six or seven bucks in change. Somebody expects to live under this roof, he ought to carry his own weight. Am I right, Eddie?"

Eddie, the superintendant of the apartment building, looked at me with a twinge of sympathy. "Come on, Gabe," he said. "The kid just got here."

"Am I right?" Gabe repeated with a hint of a growl.

Eddie scowled into his bowl of pretzels. The other two guys passed gas in harmony.

"Fine," I said. I dug a wad of dollars out of my pocket and threw the money on the table. "I hope you lose"

"Your report card came, brain boy!" he shouted after me. "I wouldn't act so snooty!"

I slammed the door to my room, which really was not my room. During school months, it was Gabe's 'study'. He didn't study anything in there except old car magazines, but he loved shoving my stuff in the closet, leaving his muddy boots on my windowsill, and doing his best to make the place smell like his nasty cologne and cigars and stale beer.

I dropped my suitcase on the bed. Home sweet home. Gabe's smell was almost worse than the nightmares about Mrs. Dodd, or the sound of that old fruit lady's shears snipping the yarn. But as soon as I thought that, my legs felt weak. I remembered Grover's look of panic – how he'd made me promise I wouldn't go home without him. A sudden chill rolled through me. I felt like someone or something… was looking for me right now, maybe pounding its way up the stairs, growing long, horrible talons.

Then I heard my mom's voice. "Percy?" She opened the bedroom door, and my fears melted.

My mother can make me feel good just by walking into the room. Her eyes sparkle and change colour in the light. Her smile is as warm as a quilt. She has got a few grey streaks mixed in with her long brown hair, but I never think of her as old. When she looks at me, it is like she is seeing all the good things about me, none of the bad. I have never heard her raise her voice or say an unkind word to anyone, not even me or Gabe.

"Oh, Percy." She hugged me tight. "I can't believe it. You have grown up so since Christmas!" Her red-white-and blue Sweet on America uniform smelled like the best things in the world: chocolate, licorice, and all the other stuff she sold at the candy shop in Grand Central. She'd brought me a huge bag of 'free samples', the way she always did when I came home.

We sat together on the edge of the bed. While I attacked the blueberry sour strings, she ran her hand through my hair and demanded to know everything I had not put in my letters. She did not mention anything about my getting expelled. She did not seem to care about that. But was I okay? Was her little boy doing all right? I told her she was smothering me, and to lay off and all that, but secretly, I was really, really glad to see her.

From the other room, we heard Gabe yell, "Hey, Sally how about some bean dip, huh?"

I gritted my teeth.

My mom is the best, most kind lady in the world. She should've been married to a millionaire, not to somejerk like Gabe! For her sake, I tried to sound upbeat about my last days at Yancy Academy. I told her I wasn't too down about the expulsion. I'd lasted almost the whole year this time. I'd made some new friends. I'd done pretty well in Latin. And honestly, the fights hadn't been as bad as the headmaster said. I liked Yancy Academy. I really had. I put such a good spin on the year, I almost convinced myself. I started choking up, thinking about Grover and Mr Brunner. Even Nancy suddenly didn't seem so bad… Until that trip to the museum…

"What?" my mom asked. Her eyes tugged at my conscience, trying to pull out the secrets. "Did something scare you?"

"No, Mom." I lied. I felt bad lying. I wanted to tell her about Mrs. Dodd and the three old ladies with the yarn, but I thought it would sound stupid.

She pursed her lips. She knew I was holding back, but she did not push me… yet.

"I have a surprise for you," she said. "We are going to the beach."

My eyes widened. "Montauk?"

"Three nights the same cabin."

"When?!" I asked her getting excited.

She smiled. "As soon as I get changed."

I could not believe it. My mom and I hadn't been to Montauk the last two summers, because Gabe said there wasn't enough money.

Gabe appeared in the doorway and growled, "Bean dip, Sally? Did you not hear me?"

I wanted to punch him, but I met my mom's eyes and I understood she was offering me a deal: be nice to Gabe for a little while. Just until she was ready to leave for Montauk. Then we would get out of here.

"I was on my way, Gabe," she told Gabe. "'We were just talking about the trip."

Gabe's eyes got small. "The trip? You mean you were serious about that?"

"I knew it!" I muttered. "He would never let us go."

"Of course he will," my mom said evenly. "Your stepfather is just worried about money. That is all. Besides," she added, "Gabriel won't have to settle for bean dip. I'll make him enough seven-layer dip for the whole weekend. Guacamole, Sour cream. The whole works."

Gabe softened a bit. "So this money for your trip… it comes out of your clothes budget, right?"

"Yes, dear," my mother said.

"And you won't take my car anywhere but there and back."

"We will be very careful." She replied

Gabe scratched his double chin. "Maybe if you hurry with that seven-layer dip… And maybe if the kid apologizes for interrupting my poker game."

Maybe if I kick you in your soft spot, I thought. And make you sing soprano for a week. But my mom's eyes warned me not to make him mad. Why did she put up with this guy? I wanted to scream. Why did she care what he thought? "I am sorry," I muttered. "I'm really sorry I interrupted your incredibly important poker game. Please go back to it right now."

Gabe's eyes narrowed. His tiny brain was probably trying to detect sarcasm in my statement. "Yeah, whatever," he decided. He went back to his game.

"Thank you, Percy," my mom said. "Once we get to Montauk, we will talk more about… whatever you have forgotten to tell me, okay?"

For a moment, I thought I saw anxiety in her eyes – the same fear I'd seen in Grover during the bus ride – as if my mom too felt an odd chill in the air. But then her smile returned, and I figured I must have been mistaken. She ruffled my hair and went to make Gabe his seven-layer dip.

An hour later we were ready to leave. Gabe took a break from his poker game long enough to watch me lug my mom's bags to the car. He kept griping and groaning about losing her cooking, and more importantly his 1978 Camaro for the whole weekend.

"Not a scratch on this car, brain boy," he warned me as I loaded the last bag. "Not one little scratch."

I snorted at the comment like I'd be the one driving. I was twelve. But that didn't matter to Gabe. If a seagull so much as pooped on his paint job, he'd find a way to blame me. Watching him lumber back towards the apartment building, I got so mad I did something I can't explain. As Gabe reached the doorway, I made the hand gesture I'd seen Grover make on the bus, a sort of warding-off-evil gesture, a clawed hand over my heart, then a shoving movement towards Gabe. The screen door slammed shut so hard it whacked him in the butt and sent him flying up the staircase as if he'd been shot from a cannon. Maybe it was just the wind, or some freak accident with the hinges, but I didn't stay long enough to find out.

I got in the Camaro and told my mom to step on it. Our rental cabin was on the south shore, way out at the tip of Long Island. It was a little pastel box with faded curtains, half sunken into the dunes. There was always sand in the sheets and spiders in the cabinets, and most of the time the sea was too cold to swim in. I loved the place.

We have been going there since I was a baby. My mom had been going even longer. She never exactly said, but I knew why the beach was special to her. It was the place where she'd met my dad. As we got closer to Montauk, she seemed to grow younger, years of worry and work disappearing from her face. Her eyes turned the colour of the sea. We got there at sunset, opened all the cabin's windows, and went through our usual cleaning routine. We walked on the beach, fed blue corn chips to the seagulls, and munched on blue jelly beans, blue saltwater taffy, and all the other free samples my mom had brought from work. I guess I should explain the blue food. See, Gabe had once told my mom there was no such thing. They had this fight, which seemed like a really small thing at the time. But ever since, my mom went out of her way to eat blue. She baked blue birthday cakes. She mixed blueberry smoothies. She bought blue-corn tortilla chips and brought home blue candy from the shop. This – along with keeping her maiden name, Jackson, rather than calling herself Mrs. Ugliano – was proof that she wasn't totally suckered by Gabe. She did have a rebellious streak, like me.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I skipped the last day of school; I told Percy and Grover I would see them again someday, one day. I walked towards an abandoned beach cabin. I have been going there for the past three and a half years. It is near the sea.

I chose to take a nap in the cabin, the problem was; was that I got unexpected company. I barely had time to shadow travel out of there. I recognized Percy's voice after I was long gone.

I appeared on the east side of the cabin. The sun was setting in the west and the moon was rising in the east, it was a full moon. I smiled at it as I jogged into the water. I dove straight in. I had nothing to fear. The ocean and sea protects me. I may hate Poseidon, but the seas never forget one of its own. I am _**NOT**_ his son! I am a child of the sea. I am wild and unpredictable.

Water gave me power and the ocean and the sea gave me much more than a simple brook would.

I felt the moon and the ocean beginning to dance, the dance of the tides.

I swam deeper and deeper into darker and darker water. It should have gotten colder, but I did not feel a thing.

I pulled out my MP3 and played music underwater. You should try it some time! Anyway the music I was listening to was: **_Young and the Hopeless_ ** by **Good Charlotte**

 _Hard days made me, hard nights shaped me_

 _I don't know they somehow saved me_

 _And I know I'm making something out of this life they called nothing_

 _I take what I want_

 _Take what I need_

 _They say it's wrong but it's right for me_

 _I won't look down_

 _Won't say I'm sorry_

 _I know that only God can judge me_

 _And if I make it thru today will tomorrow be the same_

 _Am I just running in place?_

 _and if I stumble and I fall_

 _Should I get up and carry on or will it all just be the same_

 _'Cause, I'm young and hopeless_

 _I'm lost and I know this_

 _I'm going nowhere fast that's what they say_

 _I'm troublesome, I've fallen_

 _I'm angry at my father_

 _It's me against this world and I don't care, I don't care_

 _And no one in this industry_

 _Understands the life I lead_

 _When I sing about my past_

 _It's not a gimmick, not an act_

 _These critics and these trust fund kids_

 _Try to tell me what punk is_

 _But when I see them on the streets, they got nothing to say..._

 _And if I make it thru today will tomorrow be the same_

 _Am I just running in place?_

 _If I stumble and I fall_

 _Should I get up and carry on or will it all just be the same_

 _'Cause, I'm young and hopeless_

 _I'm lost and I know this_

 _I'm going nowhere fast that's what they say_

 _I'm troublesome, I've fallen_

 _I'm angry at my father_

 _It's me against this world and I don't care, I don't care_

 _I don't care, now I don't care_

 _I'm young and hopeless_

 _I'm lost and I know this_

 _I'm going nowhere fast that's what they say_

 _That I'm troublesome, I've fallen_

 _I'm angry at my father_

 _It's me against this world and I don't care, I don't care_

 _I don't care_

 _I don't care!_

The next song started up right away: **Good Charlotte: Emotionless**

 _Hey dad_

 _I'm writing to you_

 _Not to tell you_

 _That I still hate you_

 _Just to ask you_

 _How you feel_

 _And how we fell apart_

 _How this fell apart_

 _Are you happy out there in this great wide world?_

 _Do you think about your sons?_

 _Do you miss your little girl?_

 _When you lay your head down_

 _How do you sleep at night?_

 _Do you even wonder if we're all right?_

 _Well we're all right_

 _We are all right_

 _It's been a long hard road without you by my side_

 _Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?_

 _You broke my mother's heart, you broke your children for life_

 _It's not ok, but we're all right_

 _I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes_

 _But those are just a long lost memory of mine_

 _I spent so many years learning how to survive_

 _Now I'm writing just to let you know I'm still alive_

 _The days I spent so_

 _Cold, so hungry_

 _Were full of hate_

 _I was so angry_

 _The scars run deep inside this tattooed body_

 _There's things I'll take_

 _To my grave_

 _But I'm okay_

 _I'm okay_

 _It's been a long hard road without you by my side_

 _Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?_

 _You broke my mother's heart_

 _You broke your children for life_

 _It's not ok, but were all right_

 _I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes_

 _But those are just a long lost memory of mine_

 _Now I'm writing just to let you know that I'm still alive_

 _Yeah I'm still alive_

 _And Sometimes_

 _I forgive_

 _Yeah and this time_

 _I'll admit_

 _That I miss you, said I miss you_

 _It's been a long hard road without you by my side_

 _Why weren't you there all the nights that we cried?_

 _You broke my mother's heart_

 _You broke your children for life_

 _it is not ok, but we're all right_

 _I remember the days you were a hero in my eyes_

 _But those are just a long lost memory of mine_

 _Now I'm writing just to let you know that I am still alive.._

 _And sometimes_

 _I forgive_

 _And this time_

 _I'll admit_

 _That I miss you, I miss you_

 _Hey dad…_

I sensed something brewing topside. I swam to the surface and when I got there I was shocked. There was a hurricane out over the ocean and it was coming in quick!

I ran towards the cabin I knocked, but the door was already unlatched so it looked like I threw the door open.

I saw Grover, Percy and Sally. All heads turned to me. I realized I was still wearing my trench coat, black leather pants, but this time I had leather gloves with silver spikes on the knuckles. I pulled down my head and said "We have to leave now!"

Sally stood up and asked "Who are you?"

Percy rushed over and gave me hug, or tried to. I took a step back and then a side step. I said "I am a friend of Percy. I give you my word, I am a friend of Percy and I have no intention of harming him."

She looked hard into my eyes. She gave a nod and said "You are telling the truth, that much I can see that much."

I gave her a nod and said "We need to go. NOW!"

They noticed the storm brewing behind me.

They all rushed to the car.

I had a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. I shadow traveled behind them. They turned around to see where I was I stood calmly and said "Go. I have a feeling something is coming from the storm… something sinister…"

Percy grabbed on my arm and dragged me into the car. It was rather cramped in the back with Grover, Percy and me, but we managed.

I zoned out on their communication. I was feeling the storm all around us. This was not part of the hurricane; this was more like a thunder storm. My eyes widened. Zeus! I growled at my grandfather slash uncle.

I had a sick feeling in my gut. I had to look out the window! I wish I had not. There who was running toward us was the Minotaur. I ran into Beef Head with my sister. I saw something else, I saw some Cyclopes I knew Percy and Grover had a chance against the Minotaur, if I could slow down the other monsters.

I said to Sally "Sally do not slow down for anything."

As I said this everyone looked back. Too bad we were already flooring.

I hoped the door and I rolled out. I landed on my feet and rolled, and rolled, and rolled. Once I stopped I shadow traveled towards the small army that composed of three Cyclopes and about six Hell Hounds. I growled as I pulled out my twin short swords. The darkness thickened, the storm grew even more fierce, and out of the ground came a undead redcoat, a British soldier from the Reflationary War. A Cyclopes just dropped his club putting six feet under again.

I stabbed one of my blades into the earth and I let out a primeval roar. The earth shook and a crack formed out of the earth. The earth began to shake and shift. Most of the Cyclopes fell into the pit. I could tell it was a VERY long way down. The Hell Hounds shadow traveled away, leaving me with the two big Cyclops.

I used much of my energy into the crack, which sealed itself up. I stood up on shaky legs.

One of the Cyclopses said "Stupid demigod, putting all of your strength in one attack!"

I threw both of my swords turning the one trying to sneak up on me into monster dust.

Cyclopes gave a evil grin and said "And you just threw away your life. You are weaponless…"

I reached into my boots and I pulled out one silver six inch double edged dagger and out of the other boot I pulled out an assist opening silver knife that was ten inches long, but was five when folded.

The Cyclopes growled as he took huge lumbering steps in my direction.

I stabbed him in his right foot with the knife when he came into range. I shadowed traveled and stabbed him in the back with the dagger.

The Cyclopes said "Such puny weapons cannot kill me!" He boasted.

I smirked and said "You are absolutely right! They would never kill you where I placed them!"

The Cyclopes took a few steps towards me not even bothering to remove the one in his foot. I took a few steps back so in a few steps he would be out in the open.

I fell to my knees hoping he would to the bait.

He smirked and stepped into the clearing and said "You were powerful, but lacked wisdom. Time to meet Hades!"

I smirked and said "No you will be seeing Tartarus soon!" I summoned the last bit of energy and I called down a huge lightning bolt. The lightning bolt found the silver first and it instantly vaporized him.

I slumped down against a tree in pure exhaustion. The knife and dagger dissolved into the shadows and reappeared in its respective boot.

As I began to shut my eyes I saw a few nature spirits looking at me. I looked at them in the eye before I blacked out, I swear I saw one of their eyes widen as if she knew me…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

We tore through the night along dark country roads. Wind slammed against the Camaro. Rain lashed the windshield. I didn't know how my mom could see anything, but she kept her foot on the gas. Every time there was a flash of lightning, I looked at Grover sitting next to me in the backseat and I wondered if I had gone insane, or if he was wearing some kind of shag-carpet trousers. But, no, the smell was one I remembered from kindergarten field trips to the petting zoo – lanolin, like from wool. The smell of a wet barnyard animal. All I could think to say was, "So... uh, you and my mum… know each other?"

Grover's eyes flitted to the rearview mirror, though there were no cars behind us. "Not exactly," he said. "I mean, we have never met in person. But she knew I was watching you."

"Watching me?" I asked confused.

"Keeping tabs on you. Making sure you were okay. But I was not faking being your friend," he added hastily. /'I am your friend."

Ok... um… what are you, exactly?"

"That does not matter right now." Grover said quickly.

'It does not matter? From the waist down, my best friend is a donkey –"

Grover let out a sharp, throaty "Blaa-ha-ha!" I'd heard him make that sound before, but I'd always assumed it was a nervous laugh. Now I realized it was more of an irritated bleat.

"Goat!" he cried out in outrage.

"What?" I was so confused with everything.

"I am a goat from the waist down!" Grover said to me.

I replied "You just said it does not matter."

"Blaa-ha-ha! There are satyrs who would trample you under hoof for such an insult!" Grover bleated.

"Whoa. Wait. Satyrs. You mean like… Mr. Brunner's myths?" I asked.

"Were those old ladies at the fruit stand a myth, Percy? Was Mrs. Dodd a myth?"

"So you admit there was a Mrs. Dodd!" I smiled at my little victory.

"Of course."

"Then why –" He cut me off

"The less you knew, the fewer monsters you would attract," Grover said, like that should be perfectly

obvious. "We put Mist over the humans' eyes. We hoped you would think the Kindly One was a

hallucination. But it was no good. You started to realize who you are."

"Who I am? Wait a minute, what do you mean?" I asked.

The weird bellowing noise rose up again somewhere behind us, closer than before. Whatever was chasing us was still on our trail.

"Percy," my mom said, "There is too much to explain and not enough time. We have to get you to safety."

"Safety from what? Who is after me?"

"Oh, nobody much," Grover said, obviously still miffed about the donkey comment. "Just the Lord of the Dead and a few of his blood-thirstiest minions!"

My mom exclaimed "Grover!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Jackson, but could you drive faster, please?" Grover asked my mom, well more like begged.

I tried to wrap my mind around what was happening, but I just could not do it. I knew this was not a dream. I had no imagination. I could never dream up something this weird. My mom made a hard left. We swerved onto a narrower road, racing past darkened farmhouses and wooded hills and PICK YOUR OWN STRAWBERRIES signs on white picket fences.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"The summer camp I told you about.'" My mother's voice was tight; she was trying for my sake not to be scared. "The place your father wanted to send you."

"The place you did not want me to go." I stated flatly

"Please, dear," my mother begged. "This is hard enough. Try to understand. You are in danger."

"Why because some old ladies cut yarn?" I said with a huff.

"Those were not just some old ladies," Grover said. "Those were the Fates. Do you know what it means – the fact they appeared in front of you? They only do that when you're about to… when someone's about to die."

I caught him say 'you' and I called him out on it by saying "Whoa. You said 'you'!"

He tried to lie his way out of it by saying "No I didn't. I said "someone"."

"You meant 'you'. As in me!" I exclaimed.

Grover said trying to explain "I meant you, like "someone". Not you, you."

"Boys!" my mom yelled.

She pulled the wheel hard to the right, and I got a glimpse of a figure she'd swerved to avoid – a dark fluttering shape now lost behind us in the storm.

"What was that?" I asked unnerved.

"We are almost there," my mother said, ignoring my question. "Another mile. Please. Please.

Please."

I didn't know where there was, but I found myself leaning forward in the car, anticipating, wanting us to arrive.

Outside, nothing but rain and darkness – the kind of empty countryside you get way out on the tip of Long Island. I thought about Mrs. Dodd and the moment when she'd changed into the thing with pointed teeth and leathery wings. My limbs went numb from delayed shock. She really had not been human. She'd meant to kill me.

Then I thought about Mr. Brunner… and the sword...

The hair rose on the back of my neck. There was a blinding flash, a jaw rattling boom, and our car exploded. I remember feeling weightless, like I was being crushed, fried and hosed down all at the same time. I peeled my forehead off the back of the driver's seat and said, "Ow!"

"Percy!" my mom shouted.

"I am okay…." I tried to shake off the daze. I was not dead. The car had not really exploded. We'd swerved into a ditch. Our driver's-side doors were wedged in the mud. The roof had cracked open like an eggshell and rain was pouring in. Lightning. That was the only explanation. We'd been blasted right off the road. Next to me in the backseat was a big motionless lump.

'"Grover!" I yelled.

He was slumped over, blood trickling from the side of his mouth. I shook his furry hip, thinking, No! Even if you are half barnyard animal, you're my best friend and I don't want you to die! Then he groaned, 'Food,' and I knew there was hope.

"Percy," my mother said to me, "we have to…" Her voice faltered.

I looked back. In a flash of lightning, through the mud-spattered rear windshield, I saw a figure lumbering towards us on the shoulder of the road. The sight of it made my skin crawl. It was a dark silhouette of a huge guy, like a football player. He seemed to be holding a blanket over his head. His top half was bulky and fuzzy. His upraised hands made it look like he had horns. I swallowed hard. "Who is –"

"Percy," my mother said, deadly serious. "Get out of the car."

My mother threw herself against the driver's-side door. It was jammed shut in the mud. I tried mine as well. Stuck too. I looked up desperately at the hole in the roof. It might've been an exit, but the edges were sizzling and smoking.

"Climb out the passenger's side!" My mother told me. "Percy, you have to run. Do you see that big tree?"

"What?" I asked still dazed and confused.

Another flash of lightning, and through the smoking hole in the roof I saw the tree she meant: a huge, White House Christmas-tree-sized pine at the crest of the nearest hill. "That is the property line," my mom said. "Get over that hill and you will see a big farmhouse down in the valley. Run and do not look back. Yell for help. Do not stop until you reach the door."

"Mom, you are coming, too!" I said with determination.

Her face was pale, her eyes as sad as when she looked at the ocean.

"No!" I shouted "You are coming with me. Help me carry Grover."

"Food!" Grover moaned, a little louder.

The man with the blanket on his head kept coming towards us, making his grunting, snorting noises. As he got closer, I realized he couldn't be holding a blanket over his head, because his hands – huge meaty hands – were swinging at his sides. There was no blanket. Meaning the bulky, fuzzy mass that was too big to be his head… was his head. And the points that looked like horns…

"He does not want us," my mother told me. "He wants you. Besides, I can't cross the property line."

"But…" I tried to wrap my mind around what she was trying to say.

"We do not have time, Percy. Go. Please." She begged me.

I got mad, then, mad at my mother, at Grover the goat, at the thing with horns that was lumbering towards us slowly and deliberately like, like a bull. I climbed across Grover and pushed the door open into the rain. "We are going together. Come on, Mom."

Sally said to me "I told you –"

"Mom! I am not leaving you. Help me with Grover." I didn't wait for her answer. I scrambled outside, dragging Grover from the car. He was surprisingly light, but I couldn't have carried him very far if my mom hadn't come to my aid. Together, we draped Grover's arms over our shoulders and started stumbling uphill through wet waist-high grass. Glancing back, I got my first clear look at the monster. He was seven feet tall, easy, his arms and legs like something from the cover of Muscle Man magazine – bulging biceps and triceps and a bunch of other 'ceps, all stuffed like baseballs under vein-webbed skin. He wore no clothes except underwear – I mean, bright white Fruit-of-the-Looms, which would've been funny except for the top half of his body. Coarse brown hair started at about his bellybutton and got thicker as it reached his shoulders. His neck was a mass of muscle and fur leading up to his enormous head, which had a snout as long as my arm, snotty nostrils with a gleaming brass ring, cruel black eyes, and horns – enormous black and- white horns with points you just couldn't get from an electric sharpener.

I recognized the monster, all right. He had been in one of the first stories Mr. Brunner told us. But he couldn't be real. I blinked the rain out of my eyes. "Is that the–"

"Pasiphae's son," my mother said. "I wish I would have known how badly they want to kill you."

"But a he is a min–"

"Do not say his name," she warned. "Names have power."

The pine tree was still way too far – a hundred meters uphill at least. I glanced behind me again.

The Bull Man hunched over our car, looking in the windows – or not looking, exactly. More like snuffling, nuzzling. I was not sure why he bothered, since we were only about fifteen meters away.

"Food?" Grover moaned.

"Shhh" I told him. "Mom, what is he doing? Doesn't he see us?"

"His sight and hearing are terrible," she said. "He goes by smell. But he will figure out where we are soon enough."

As if on cue, the Bull Man bellowed in rage. He picked up Gabe's Camaro by the torn roof, the chassis creaking and groaning. He raised the car over his head and threw it down the road. It slammed into the wet asphalt and skidded in a shower of sparks for about half a mile before coming to a stop. The gas tank exploded. Not a scratch, I remembered Gabe saying. Oops…

"Percy," my mom said. "When he sees us, he will charge. Wait until the last second, then jump out of the way – directly sideways. He can't change direction very well once he is charging. Do you understand?"

'"How do you know all this?" I asked, my ADHD was acting up, I almost forgot about the Bull Man.

"I have been worried about an attack for a long time. I should have expected this. I was selfish, keeping you near me." My mother said.

"Keeping me near you? But –" I was cut off by another bellow of rage, and the Bull Man started tromping uphill.

He'd smelled us. The pine tree was only a few more meters, but the hill was getting steeper and slicker, and Grover was not getting any lighter!

The Bull Man closed in. Another few seconds and he'd be on top of us. My mother must have been exhausted, but she shouldered Grover. "Go, Percy! Separate! Remember what I said!"

I did not want to split up, but I had the feeling she was right – it was our only chance. I sprinted to the left, turned, and saw the creature bearing down on me. His black eyes glowed with hate. He reeked like rotten meat. He lowered his head and charged, those razor-sharp horns aimed straight at my chest. The fear in my stomach made me want to bolt, but that would not work. I could never outrun this thing. So I held my ground, and at the last moment, I jumped to the side. The Bull Man stormed past like a freight train, then bellowed with frustration and turned, but not towards me this time, towards my mother, who was setting Grover down in the grass.

We had just reached the crest of the hill. Down the other side I could see a valley, just as my mother had said, and the lights of a farmhouse glowing yellow through the rain. But that was half a mile away. We would never make it!

The Bull Man grunted, pawing the ground. He kept eyeing my mother, who was now retreating slowly downhill, back towards the road, trying to lead the monster away from Grover.

"Run, Percy!" she told me. "I can't go any further. Run!"

But I just stood there, frozen in fear, as the monster charged her. She tried to sidestep, just as she had told me to do, but the monster had learned his lesson. His hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck as she tried to get away. He lifted her as she struggled, kicking and pummeling the air.

I shouted "Mom!"

She caught my eyes, managed to choke out one last word: "Go!"

Then, with an angry roar, the monster closed his fists around my mother's neck, and she dissolved before my eyes, melting into light, a shimmering golden form, as if she were a holographic projection. A blinding flash, and she was simply… gone.

"No!" I roared with rage.

Anger replaced my fear. Newfound strength burned in my limbs – the same rush of energy I'd got when Mrs. Dodd grew talons. The Bull Man bore down on Grover, who lay helpless in the grass. The monster hunched over, snuffling my best friend, as if he were about to lift Grover up and make him dissolve too. I couldn't allow that. I stripped off my red rain jacket.

"HEY!" I shouted, waving the jacket, running to one side of the monster. "Hey, stupid! Ground Beef!"

"Raaaarrrrr!" The monster turned towards me, shaking his meaty fists.

I had an idea, a very stupid idea, but better than no idea at all. I put my back to the big pine tree and waved my red jacket in front of the bull-man, thinking I would then jump out of the way at the last moment. But it did not happen like that. The Bull Man charged too fast, his arms out to grab me whichever way I tried to dodge. Time slowed down.

My legs tensed. I could not jump sideways, so I leaped straight up, kicking off from the creature's head, using it as a springboard, turning in midair and landing on his neck. How did I do that? I didn't have time to figure it out. A millisecond later, the monster's head slammed into the tree and the impact nearly knocked my teeth out.

The Bull Man staggered around, trying to shake me. I locked my arms around his horns to keep from being thrown. Thunder and lightning were still going strong. The rain was in my eyes. The smell of rotten meat burned my nostrils. The monster shook himself around and bucked like a rodeo bull. He should have just backed up into the tree and smashed me flat, but I was starting to realize that this thing had only one gear: forward.

Meanwhile, Grover started groaning in the grass. I wanted to yell at him to shut up, but the way I was getting tossed around, if I opened my mouth I'd bite my own tongue off.

"Food!" Grover moaned.

The Bull Man wheeled towards him, pawed the ground again, and got ready to charge. I thought about how he had squeezed the life out of my mother, made her disappear in a flash of light, and rage filled me like high octane fuel. I got both hands around one horn and I pulled backwards with all my might. The monster tensed, gave a surprised grunt, then – snap! The Bull Man screamed and flung me through the air. I landed flat on my back in the grass. My head smacked against a rock. When I sat up, my vision was blurry, but I had a horn in my hands, a ragged bone weapons the size of a knife. The monster charged.

Without thinking, I rolled to one side and came up kneeling. As the monster barreled past, I drove the broken horn straight into his side, right up under his furry rib cage.

The Bull Man roared in agony. He flailed; clawing at his chest, then a bolt of lightning struck down and he disintegrated.

The monster was gone.

The rain had stopped. The storm still rumbled, but only in the distance. I smelled like livestock and my knees were shaking. My head felt like it was splitting open. I was weak and scared and trembling with grief. I'd just seen my mother vanish. I wanted to lie down and cry, but there was Grover, needing my help, I then realized Peter was laying on the ground smoking. He weakly sat up and said "Get Grover to the Big House."

So we managed to haul him up and stagger down into the valley, towards the lights of the farmhouse. I was crying, calling for my mother, but Peter and I held on to Grover I was not going to let them go.

The last thing I remember is collapsing on a wooden porch, looking up at a ceiling fan circling above me, moths flying around a yellow light and the stern faces of a familiar-looking bearded man and a pretty girl, her blonde hair curled like Cinderella's. They both looked down at me, and the girl said, "He is the one. He must be!"

"Silence, Annabeth," the man said. "They are still conscious. Bring them inside."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter' Point of View)**

I woke up after fighting a few Cyclopes feeling weak and tired, I knew then I used too much of my energy.

I looked around and I noticed I was in a stream, underwater. I then noticed a Naiad. She looked at me and smiled and asked me "Are you ok?"

I groaned as I felt my body creak and groan with every moment I made. I said "I am a little sore and I will not be using my powers for a while. But I will live."

She smiled and said "Thank you?"

I was confused, she saved me and she was thanking me? I should be thanking her! I asked "No offence milady but it is I who should be thanking you!"

She looked at me and was about to say something, but the earth rumbled and the creek babbled. She frowned then her eyes widen as if she got something out of it. She said to me "You have done more than you think for nature. Nature and the wild will always back you up."

I said "Umm… ok… uh… so… uh. What did I do to help nature? As for the wild, I tend to be carnivorous, I eat a lot of meat…"

She gave me a smile and said "You will learn what I mean in time."

I asked her "Do you have any Nectar or Ambrosia?"

She nodded her head and pulled out a small bag and a flask. She handed it to me and told me to "Eat and drink"

I gave her a thankful nod before eating and drinking. Right away I felt my energy returning.

Before I could take another bite or sip another drink she took the bag and flask. She said "I am sorry, but that is all I am able to give you. Too much more is liable to kill you."

I sighed. I told her "I just need a little more. My friends are in danger!" I put a little authority in it.

She looked conflicted before giving me a grim nod. I thanked before stuffing another cube into my mouth. I knew something was not right. I began feeling hot. I knew I was at my very, very limit. I swam to the top and got I land. I said to her "Thank you!"

I myself have never been to Camp Half Blood, so I cannot shadow travel there. Vapor Travel is extremely tiring. There was only one thing left to do.

I shut my eyes to focus. I pulled out my silver dagger and held it skyward. I summed a lightning bolt.

I became one with the lightning.

I sensed a surge in power I knew it was Percy. I shot down out of the sky, like well…a lightning bolt.

I landed on the Minotaur with my silver blade in it back. I stuffed the knife in my boot.

I was smoking from both too much Nectar and Ambrosia as well as from the lightning.

It took a little bit to recover; moving at the speed of lightning is rather shocking and is hard to get use to.

I told Percy that we needed to get Grover to the Big House. Percy and I stumbled and half dragged half carried each other and Grover towards the Big House.

Percy drop once he was on the porch, he looked up and saw a blond girl that looked to be the same age as us.

She said something about "The One!"

I saw Mr. Brunner rebuke saying something about them being awake. I felt myself slip into unconsciousness….

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is another chapter.**

 **Percy will have another chance at the point of view in the next chapter.**

 **Please drop a review!**

 **Death Fury out!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all of the rights go to Disney, Marvel and to Stan Lee as well as to** **Rick Riordan!**

 **Here is another chapter.**

 **I would like to say that this chapter does retell a lot about the book, but I have made a few twists to it.**

 **After this chapter however, I will stick mostly to Peter's point of view and third person.**

 **The story continues forward like a river towards the sea….**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

The next thing I knew I was in a soft bed. I felt weak. I had a sharp pain in my gut I wearily looked around the room and I saw a male with a scar running across his left eye. He was tall and had dirty blond hair. My instincts told me not to trust him; he was dangerous stay away from him. I allowed myself to slip back into unconsciousness.

I woke up what seemed like moments, but I could just tell it had been a couple of hours. I saw the same girl that was there when Percy and I arrived. I sat up and the sheet fell off. I realized that I was shirtless and pantsless. All I had on was my Black pair of Boxers – Briefs.

She blushed and turned away immediately. I looked down and I saw all of my scars, but under the scars was pure muscles; there was not a trace of fat on my body. I laid back down and asked her "Annabeth, why is my clothes?"

She asked suspiciously "How did you know my name?"

I told her "I heard Chiron say it when I first arrived here with Percy."

She gave a nod accepting the answer. She said "So you must be Peter."

I gave her nod, not like where this was going.

Annabeth said "Percy talks a lot in his sleep."

I chuckled and gave her a nod. I asked her again "Can you get me my clothes?"

She blushed again and gave a nod she left the room. I shut my eyes and I felt the air and water around the area. I sensed there was a lake nearby and a stream.

A few minutes later Annabeth came back with my clothes and my boots. The clothes were neatly folded and stacked, the boots sat on top of the pile.

I gave her a smile and said "Thank you, milady." I smirked when I say that as she became slightly flustered. I chuckled.

Annabeth threw my boots at me for laughing at her. For a twelve year old girl she could throw hard! She turned on her heels and walked out of the room. I could tell she was prideful.

I put on my clothes; I made sure my weapons were where they should be. I put the gloves in my pocket. I walked out of the room. My body was protesting, but I forced myself to walk out of the room. I made it to the patio where I stood in the light of the sun. I could imagine the warmth of it. I could smell strawberries, wild honey, and nature. I took a deep breath in and I let it out. I sat down in a lounge chair just outside the door. I leaned back and shut my eyes. My breathing became steady, but I was still half conscience.

I felt a shadow pass in front of my face. I pulled out my dagger out of my boot and I lunged forward. We tumbled to the ground. When I opened my eyes I had the scarred, blue eyed, blond male. I stood up and said "Sorry, you startled me." Though I was truly not sorry, but I was easily able to lie. He brought the lie hook, line, sinker and all.

He gave me a smile and said "No problem friend!"

I felt a cold chill run up and down my spine. The pain in my gut flared. I bent over and clutched my stomach and let out a pained groan.

He came over to me and helped me stand up straight he asked me "You all right kid?"

I sat up and said with a slight cross tone "This 'kid' has a name Peter Perseus."

The boy raised his hands in surrender and said "Chill dude! My name is Luke."

I gave him a nod, I vaguely remembered a young man named Luke, but this was not him… I got a head ache trying to think, but I hid it well enough to hide it.

Luke flashed me a grin with his dazzling white teeth. He said "Come on Pete, time for you to meet Chiron." He reached down to give me a hand. I slapped his hand away and said coldly "My name is Peter, P – E – T- E – **R**. Pet **er**."

Luke frowned and said "There is no need for hostility."

I shot him a mild glare he flinch and quickly left and called over his shoulder "Follow me."

I stood up and I shadowed him. I rounded to corner and I saw twelve cabins in a "U" shape, with a fire in the middle. I saw a girl who appeared to be about eight years old; I swear I saw her before…

The memory hit me like a lightning bolt! When my sister was dragging me away, I took one last look back and I saw a girl in the hearth. I thought I was crazy, and I almost forgot it! I smiled, the best smile I could and I gave her a wave.

The girl who was actually the goddess Hestia waved and gave a warm smile back.

I walked towards the hearth, but before I could get close enough to become in talking range, Luke said "Come on Pete!"

I growled at him. I muttered to myself "Need to see Hestia later…"

Luke lead me to the Big House where I saw a fat, pudgy man in an ugly Hawaiian shirt, I also saw Mr. Brunner.

Luke dropped me off and left, leaving me with the drunk and the cripple.

I stood there like a straight up, I had my hands crossed over my chest, and I glared at the man in the ugly Hawaiian shirt.

Mr. Brunner cleared his throat and said "You must be Peter-"

I said curtly "Cut the formalities Chiron."

His eyes widen for a second before reverting back to his normal façade, his own masquerade, and asking "How long did you know and **HOW** did you know?"

I smirked and said "The moment you came to school, no offence, but you smell like a horse! And Grover smells like a goat."

Chiron pondered what I said for a second before saying "You are one of the first one to guess that…"

I rolled my eyes and said "It is hard to miss! I mean I could smell you from the back! How those people in the front did not smell I will never know… Actually maybe it was the Mist…"

Chiron asked "Are you confused or have any questions?"

I sighed and asked "How many people saw me without my shirt?"

Chiron grimaced and said "Luke, Annabeth, myself and Will."

I gave a nod and said with a growl "Make them swear never to say a word about what they saw!"

Chiron flinched at the growl before calmly saying "They already agreed among themselves."

I gave a nod.

The fat man in the ugly Hawaiian shirt said boredly "Welcome to Camp Half Blood brat. Stay out of my way and obey."

I growled and said "Think I give a rat's ass?"

The fat man glared at me and I glared back it was not my death glare, but it was close. He eventually looked away. I smirked in triumph.

Chiron said "I will have Annabeth show you around."

I gave him a nod, still not happy about this Mr. D character. I do not care if he is Dionysus!

A few moments later Annabeth came and told me to follow her…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

I I had weird dreams full of barnyard animals. Most of them wanted to kill me. The rest wanted food. I must have woken up several times, but what I heard and saw made no sense, so I just passed out again. I remember lying in a soft bed, being spoon-fed something that tasted like buttered popcorn, only it was pudding. The girl with curly blonde hair hovered over me, smirking as she scraped drips off my chin with the spoon.

When she saw my eyes open, she asked, "What will happen at the summer solstice?"

I would manage to croak, "What?" Completely confused.

She looked around, as if afraid someone would overhear. "What is going on? What was stolen? We have only got a few weeks!"

"I'm sorry," I mumbled, 'I don't…"

Somebody knocked on the door, and the girl quickly filled my mouth with pudding. The next time I woke up, the girl was gone. A husky blond dude, like a surfer, stood in the corner of the bedroom keeping watch over me. He had blue eyes, at least a dozen of them, on his cheeks, his forehead, the backs of his hands. I must have been seeing things….

When I finally came around for good, there was nothing weird about my surroundings, except that they were nicer than I was used to. I was sitting in a deck chair on a huge porch, gazing across a meadow at green hills in the distance. The breeze smelled like strawberries. There was a blanket over my legs, a pillow behind my neck. All that was great, but my mouth felt like a scorpion had been using it for a nest. My tongue was dry and nasty and every one of my teeth hurt.

On the table next to me was a tall drink. It looked like iced apple juice, with a green straw and a paper parasol stuck through a maraschino cherry. My hand was so weak I almost dropped the glass once I got my fingers around it.

"Careful there," a familiar voice said. I looked around and saw Grover was leaning against the porch railing, looking like he hadn't slept in a week. Under one arm, he cradled a shoe box. He was wearing blue jeans, Converse hi-tops and a bright orange T-shirt that said CAMP HALF-BLOOD. It was just plain old Grover. Not the goat boy.

So maybe I'd had a nightmare. Maybe my mom was okay. We were still on vacation, and we had stopped here at this big house for some reason.

I was cut out of my thought when Grover said "You saved my life," Grover continued and said. "I… well, the least I could do… I went back to the hill. I thought you might want this." Reverently, he placed the shoe box in my lap.

Inside the box was a black-and-white bulls horn, the base jagged from being broken off, the tip splattered with dried blood. It hadn't been a nightmare.

"The Minotaur…" I muttered, unable to believe it, though I was literally holding it in my hands!

"Um, Percy, it is not a good idea-" Grover said, but I cut him off and said "That is what they call it in the Greek myths, is it not?" I demanded. "The Minotaur: half man and half bull."

Grover shifted uncomfortably. "You have been out for two days. How much do you remember?"

"My mom. Is she really…" I could not bring myself to say anything, I could not bear the thoughts of it!

He looked down.

I stared across the meadow. There were groves of trees, a winding stream, and acres of strawberries spread out under the blue sky. The valley was surrounded by rolling hills, and the tallest one, directly in front of us, was the one with the huge pine tree on top. Even that looked beautiful in the sunlight.

My mother was gone. The whole world should be black and cold. Nothing should look beautiful.

"I truly am sorry," Grover sniffled. "I am a failure! I am –I am the worst satyr in the world!' He moaned, stomping his foot so hard it came off. I mean, the Converse hi-top came off. The inside was filled with Styrofoam, except for a hoof-shaped hole.

'"Oh, Styx!" he mumbled. Thunder rolled across the clear sky.

As he struggled to get his hoof back in the fake foot, I thought, _'Well, that settles it. Grover is a satyr.'_ I was ready to bet that if I shaved his curly brown hair, I'd find tiny horns onhis head. But I was too miserable to care that satyrs existed, or even Minotaurs. All that meant wasmy mom really had been squeezed into nothingness, dissolved into yellow light.

I was alone. An orphan. I would have to live with… Smelly Gabe? No. That would never happen. I would live on the streets first. I would pretend I was seventeen and join the army. I would do something.

Grover was still sniffling. The poor kid…? Uh the poor goat? Uh Satyr? Whatever! He looked as if he expected to be hit.

I said to him trying to calm him down and cheer him up, "It was not your fault."

"Yes, it was. I was supposed to _protect_ you!" Grover exclaimed on the verge of crying.

"Did my mother ask you to protect me?" I asked.

"No. But that is my job. I'm a keeper. Or at least… I was..." Grover's voice died at the end.

"But why…" I suddenly felt dizzy, my vision swimming.

"Do not strain yourself," Grover said. "Here"

He helped me hold my glass and put the straw to my lips.

I recoiled at the taste, because I was expecting apple juice. It was not that at all. It was chocolate chip cookies. Liquid cookies. And not just any cookies – my mom's homemade blue chocolate chip cookies, buttery and hot, with the chips still melting. Drinking it, my whole body felt warm and good, full of energy. My grief did not go away, but I felt as if my mom had just brushed her hand against my cheek, given me a cookie the way she used to when I was small, and told me everything was going to be okay.

Before I knew it, I'd drained the glass. I stared into it, sure I'd just had a warm drink, but the ice cubes hadn't even melted.

"Was it good?" Grover asked.

I nodded.

"What did it taste like?" He sounded so wistful, I felt guilty.

"Sorry," I said. "I should have let you taste."

His eyes got wide. "No! That is not what I meant. I just… wondered."

"Chocolate-chip cookies," I said. "My mom's homemade ones."

He sighed and asked "And how do you feel?"

"Like I could throw Nancy Bobofit a hundred meters!" I said with a chuckle.

"That is good,' he said. '"That is good. I do not think you should risk drinking any more of that stuff for a while."

"What do you mean?" I asked, it was sooo _**GOOD**_ I wanted just a little more!

He took the empty glass from me gingerly, as if it were dynamite, and set it back on the table. He said "Come on, Chiron and Mr. . D are waiting for us."

The porch wrapped all the way around the farmhouse. My legs felt wobbly trying to walk that far. Grover offered to carry the Minotaur horn, but I held on to it. I had paid a price for that souvenir the hard way. I was not going to let it go.

As we came around the opposite end of the house, I caught my breath. We must have been on the north shore of Long Island, because on this side of the house, the valley marched all the way up to Long Island Sound, which glittered about a mile in the distance. Between here and there, I simply couldn't process everything I was seeing.

The landscape was dotted with buildings that looked like ancient Greek architecture – an open-air pavilion, an amphitheatre, a circular arena except that they all looked brand new, their white marble columns sparkling in the sun.

In a nearby sandpit, a dozen high school-age kids and satyrs played volleyball.

Canoes glided across a small lake.

Kids in bright orange T Shirts like Grover's were chasing each other around a cluster of cabins nestled in the woods.

Some shot targets at an archery range.

Others rode horses down a wooded trail, and, unless I was hallucinating, some of their horses had wings!

Down at the end of the porch, two men sat across from each other at a card table. The blonde haired girl who had spoon fed me popcorn flavored pudding was leaning on the porch rail next to them.

The man facing me was small, but porky. He had a red nose, big watery eyes and curly hair so black it was almost purple. He looked like those paintings of baby angels… what do you call them, hubbubs? No, cherubs. That's it. He looked like a cherub who'd turned middle-aged in a trailer park. He wore a tiger-pattern Hawaiian shirt, and he would've fitted right in at one of Gabe's poker parties, except I got the feeling this guy could've out-gambled even my stepfather and that was not an easy feat!

"That is Mr. . D," Grover murmured to me. "He is the camp director. Be polite. The girl, that is Annabeth Chase. She is just a camper, but she has been here longer than just about anybody. And you already know Chiron…" He pointed at the guy whose back was to me.

First, I realized he was sitting in the wheelchair. Then I recognized the tweed jacket, the thinning brown hair, the scraggly beard. "Mr. . Brunner!' I called out.

The Latin teacher turned and smiled at me. His eyes had that mischievous glint they sometimes got in class when he pulled a pop quiz and made all the multiple choice answers _B._

"Ah, good, Percy," he said. "Now we have four for pinochle." He offered me a chair to the right of Mr. . D

Mr. . D, who looked at me with bloodshot eyes and heaved a great sigh. "Oh, I suppose I must say it. Welcome to Camp Half-Blood. There. Now do not expect me to be glad to see you."

"Uh, thanks." I scooted a little further away from him because, if there was one thing I had learned from living with Gabe, it was how to tell when an adult has been hitting the happy juice. And if Mr. . D was a stranger to alcohol, I was a satyr! (Which I am not in case you are wondering)

"Annabeth?" Mr. . Brunner called to the blonde girl.

She came forward and Mr. . Brunner introduced us. "This is the young lady nursed you back to health, Percy. Annabeth my dear, why don't you go check on Percy's bunk now? We will be putting him in cabin eleven for now."

Annabeth nodded her head and said, "Sure, Chiron."

She was probably my age, maybe a couple of centimeters taller, and a whole lot more athletic looking. With her deep tan and her curly blonde hair, she was almost exactly what I thought a stereotypical California girl would look like, except her eyes ruined the image. They were a startling grey, like storm clouds; pretty, but intimidating, too, as if she were analyzing the best way to take me down in a fight.

She glanced at the Minotaur horn in my hands, then back at me. I imagined she was going to say,

" _You killed a Minotaur!_ or _Wow, you're so awesome!"_ or something like that.

Instead she said, "You drool when you sleep." Then she sprinted off down the lawn, her blonde hair flying behind her.

"So," I said, anxious to change the subject. "You, uh, work here, Mr. . Brunner?"

'Not Mr. . Brunner,' the ex Mr. . Brunner said. 'I am afraid that was a pseudonym. You may call me Chiron."

"Okay." I said totally confused at this point, I looked at the director, and asked "And Mr. . D… does that stand for something?"

Mr. . D stopped shuffling the cards. He looked at me like I had just belched loudly. "Young man, names are powerful things. You do not just go around using them for no reason."

"Oh... Right... Sorry." I said still not getting anything.

"I must say, Percy," Chiron / Brunner broke in, "I am glad to see you alive. It's been a long time since I have made a house call to a potential camper. I would hate to think I have wasted my time."

"House call?" I asked, confused as always.

"My year at Yancy Academy, to instruct you. We have satyrs at most schools, of course, keeping a lookout. But Grover alerted me as soon as he met you. He sensed you were something special, so I decided to come upstate. I convinced the other Latin teacher to… ah, take a leave of absence." Chiron explained.

I tried to remember the beginning of the school year. It seemed like so long ago, but I did have a fuzzy memory of there being another Latin teacher my first week at Yancy. Then, without explanation, he had disappeared and Mr. . Brunner had taken the class. "You came to Yancy just to teach me?" I asked.

Chiron nodded. 'Honestly, I was not sure about you at first. We contacted your mother, let her know we were keeping an eye on you in case you were ready for Camp Half-Blood. But you still had so much to learn. Nevertheless, you made it here alive, and that is always the first test."

"Grover," Mr. D said impatiently, "are you playing or not?"

"Yes, sir!" Grover trembled as he took the fourth chair, though I did not know why he should be so afraid of a pudgy little man in a tiger print Hawaiian shirt.

"You _do_ know how to play pinochle?" Mr. D eyed me suspiciously.

"I'm afraid not." I said.

"I'm afraid not, _sir._ " he said.

'Sir,' I repeated. I was liking the camp director less and less, I wonder how Peter dealt with this guy! Actually I think I do not want to know…

"Well," he told me, "it is, along with gladiator fighting and Pac-Man, one of the greatest games ever invented by humans. I would expect all _civilized_ young men to know the rules."

"I am sure the boy can learn," Chiron said patiently.

"Please tell me" I said, "what is this place? What am I doing here? Mr. Brun – Chiron – why would you go to Yancy Academy just to teach me?"

Mr. D snorted rudely and said "I asked the same question."

The camp director dealt the cards. Grover flinched every time one landed in his pile.

Chiron smiled at me sympathetically, the way he used to in Latin class, as if to let me know that no matter what my average was, _I_ was his star student. He expected _me_ to have the right answer.

"Percy," he said to me "Did your mother tell you anything?"

"She said…" I remembered her sad eyes, looking out over the sea. "She told me she was afraid to send me here, even though my father had wanted her to. She said that once I was here, I probably could not leave. She wanted to keep me close to her."

"Typical," Mr. D said boredly "That is how they usually get killed. Young man, are you bidding or not?"

"What?" I asked at least I am saying what instead of a who, otherwise I might be mistaken for an owl as often as I am saying 'what'.

He explained, impatiently, how you bid in pinochle, and so I did.

"I am afraid there is too much to tell," Chiron said. 'I am also afraid our usual orientation film will not be enough."

"Orientation film? What orientation film?" I asked.

"No," Chiron decided completely ignoring me. "Well, Percy. You know your friend Grover is a satyr. You know –' he pointed to the horn in the shoebox – "that you have killed a Minotaur. No small feat, either, lad. What you may not know is that great powers are at work in your life. Gods – the forces you call the Greek gods – are very much alive."

I stared at the others around the table.

I waited for somebody to yell, _Not!_ But all I got was Mr. D yelling, "Oh, a royal marriage. Trick! Trick!" He cackled as he tallied up his points.

"Mr. D," Grover asked timidly, "if you're not going to eat it, could I have your Diet Coke can?"

"Eh? Oh, all right." Mr. D said not paying too much attention.

Grover bit a huge shard out of the empty aluminum can and chewed it mournfully.

"Wait," I told Chiron. "You are telling me there's such a thing as God."

"Well, now," Chiron said. "God –capital _G_ , God. That's a different matter altogether. We will not deal with the metaphysical."

I asked "Metaphysical? But you were just talking about-"

"Ah, gods, plural, as in, great beings that control the forces of nature and human endeavors: the immortal gods of Olympus. That is a smaller matter."

"Smaller!?" I exclaimed

"Yes, quite. The gods we discussed in Latin class." Chiron said.

"Like Zeus," I said. 'Poseidon and Apollo. You mean them." And there it was again distant thunder on a cloudless day.

"Young man," said Mr. D. "I would really be less casual about throwing those names around, if I were you." There was an air of warning in is voice.

"But they are stories,' I said. "They are mere myths, to explain lightning and the seasons and stuff. They are what people believed before there was science."

"Science!?" Mr. D scoffed. "And tell me, Perseus Jackson"

I flinched when he said my real name, which I never told anybody.

"What will people think of your "science" two thousand years from now?" Mr. D continued. "Hmm? They will call it primitive mumbo jumbo. That's what. Oh, I love mortals – they have absolutely no sense of perspective. They think they have come _sooo_ far. And have they, Chiron? Look at this boy and tell me!"

I was not liking Mr. D much, but there was something about the way he called me mortal, as if… he was not. It was enough to put a lump in my throat, to suggest why Grover was dutifully minding his cards, chewing his soda can, and keeping his mouth shut.

"Percy," Chiron said, "you may choose to believe or not, but the fact is that _immortal_ means immortal. Can you imagine that for a moment, never dying? Never fading? Existing, just as you are, for all time?"

I was about to answer, off the top of my head, that it sounded like a pretty good deal, but the tone of Chiron's voice made me hesitate.

"You mean, whether people believed in you or not," I said.

"Exactly," Chiron agreed. "If you were a god, how would you like being called a myth, an old story to explain lightning? What if I told you, Perseus Jackson, that someday people would call _you_ a myth, just created to explain how little boys can get over losing their mothers?"

My heart pounded. He was trying to make me angry for some reason, but I wasn't going to let him. I said, "I would not like it. But I do not believe in gods!"

"Oh, you had better," Mr. D murmured. "Before one of them incinerates you."

Grover pleaded with Mr. D "P-please, sir. He has just lost his mother. He is still in shock."

"A lucky thing, too," Mr. D grumbled, playing a card. "Bad enough I am confined to this miserable job, working with boys who don't even believe!" He waved his hand and a goblet appeared on the table, as if the sunlight had bent, momentarily, and woven the air into glass. The goblet filled itself with red wine.

My jaw dropped, but Chiron hardly looked up when he said "Mr. D," he warned, "your restrictions."

Mr. D looked at the wine and feigned surprise. "Dear me." He looked at the sky and yelled, "Old habits! Sorry!"

More thunder.

Mr. D waved his hand again, and the wineglass changed into a fresh can of Diet Coke. He sighed unhappily, popped the top of the soda, and went back to his card game.

Chiron winked at me. "Mr. D offended his father a while back, took a fancy to a wood nymph who had been declared off limits."

"A wood nymph?" I repeated, still staring at the Diet Coke can like it was from outer space.

"Yes," Mr. D confessed. "Father loves to punish me. The first time, Prohibition. Ghastly! Absolutely horrid ten years! The second time – well, she really was pretty, and I could not stay away the second time, he sent me here. Half Blood Hill. Summer camp for brats like you. 'Be a better influence,' he told me. 'Work with youths rather than tearing them down.' Ha! Absolutely unfair!" Mr. D sounded about six years old, like a pouting little kid.

"And…" I stammered, "Your father is…"

" _Di immortales,_ Chiron," Mr. D said. "I thought you taught this boy the basics. My father is Zeus, of course."

I ran through D names from Greek mythology. Wine, the skin of a tiger, the satyrs that all seemed to work here. The way Grover cringed, as if Mr. D were his master.

"You are Dionysus," I said. "The god of wine."

Mr. D rolled his eyes. "What do they say, these days, Grover? Do the children say, 'Well, duh!'?"

"Y yes, Mr. D." Grover stuttered.

"Then, Well, duh! Percy Jackson. Did you think I was Aphrodite, perhaps?"

"You are a god." I could not wrap my mind around it.

"Yes, child." He replied

"A god. You." I think I had too much information at once, my brain choked. It stopped working.

He turned to look at me straight on, and I saw a kind of purplish fire in his eyes, a hint that this whiny, plump little man was only showing me the tiniest bit of his true nature. I saw visions of grape vines choking unbelievers to death, drunken warriors insane with battle lust, sailors screaming as their hands turned to flippers, their faces elongating into dolphin snouts. I knew that if I pushed him, Mr. D would show me worse things. He would plant a disease in my brain that would leave me wearing a straitjacket in a rubber room for the rest of my life.

"Would you like to test me, child?" he said quietly.

"No. No, sir." I replied slightly shaken. I wonder if he did that to Peter.

The fire died a little. He turned back to his card game. "I believe I win." He said with a grin growing on his face.

"Not quite, Mr. D," Chiron said. He set down a straight, tallied the points, and said, 'The game goes to me."

I thought Mr. D was going to vaporize Chiron right out of his wheelchair, but he just sighed through his nose, as if he were used to being beaten by the Latin teacher. He got up, and Grover rose, too.

"I am tired," Mr. D said. "I believe I will take a nap before the sing along tonight. But first, Grover, we need to talk, _again,_ about your less than perfect performance on this assignment."

Grover's face beaded with sweat. "Y yes, sir."

Mr. D turned to me. "Cabin eleven, Percy Jackson. And mind your manners." He swept into the farmhouse, Grover following miserably.

'Will Grover be okay?' I asked Chiron.

Chiron nodded, though he looked a bit troubled. "Old Dionysus is not really mad. He just hates his job. He has been… ah, grounded, I guess you would say, and he can't stand waiting another century before he is allowed to go back to Olympus."

"Mount Olympus," I said. "You are telling me there really is a palace there?"

"Well now, there's Mount Olympus in Greece. And then there is the home of the gods, the convergence point of their powers, which did indeed used to be on Mount Olympus. It's still called Mount Olympus, out of respect to the old ways, but the palace moves, Percy, just as the gods do."

"You mean the Greek gods are here? Like… in _America?"_ I asked _._

"Well most certainly! The gods move with the heart of the West." Chiron said.

"The what?" I asked.

"Come now, Percy. What you call 'Western civilization'. Do you think it's just an abstract concept? No, it's a living force. A collective consciousness that has burned bright for thousands of years. The gods are part of it. You might even say they are the source of it, or at least, they are tied so tightly to it that they couldn't possibly fade, not unless all of Western civilizations were to be obliterated." Chiron took a breathe and went into teacher mode. "The fire started in Greece. Then, as you well know or as I hope you know, since you passed my course the heart of the fire moved to Rome, and so did the gods. Oh, different names, perhaps Jupiter for Zeus, Venus for Aphrodite, and so on but the same forces, the same gods."

"And then they died?" I asked.

"Died? No. Did the West die? The gods simply moved, to Germany, to France, to Spain, for a while. Wherever the flame was brightest, the gods were there. They spent several centuries in England. All you need to do is look at the architecture. People do not forget the gods. Every place they have ruled, for the last three thousand years, you can see them in paintings, in statues, on the most important buildings. And yes, Percy, of course they are now in your United States. Look at your symbol, the eagle of Zeus. Look at the statue of Prometheus in Rockefeller Center, the Greek facades of your government buildings in Washington. I defy you to find any American city where the

Olympians are not prominently displayed in multiple places. Like it or not and believe me, plenty of people were not very fond of Rome, either America is now the heart of the flame. It is the great power of the West. And so Olympus is here. And we are _here."_

It was all too much, especially the fact that _I_ seemed to be included in Chiron's _we,_ as if I were part of some club. "Who are you, Chiron? Who… who am I?"

Chiron smiled. He shifted his weight as if he were going to get up out of his wheelchair, but I knew that was impossible. He was paralyzed from the waist down. "Who are you," he mused. "Well, that is the question we all want answered, is it noy? But for now, we should get you a bunk in cabin eleven. There will be new friends to meet. And plenty of time for lessons tomorrow. Besides, there will be toasted marshmallows at the campfire tonight, and I simply adore them."

And then he did rise from his wheelchair. But there was something odd about the way he did it. His blanket fell away from his legs, but the legs didn't move. His waist kept getting longer, rising above his belt. At first, I thought he was wearing very long, white velvet underwear, but as he kept rising out of the chair, taller than any man, I realized that the velvet underwear wasn't underwear; it was the front of an animal, muscle and sinew under coarse white fur. And the wheelchair wasn't a chair. It was some kind of container, an enormous box on wheels, and it must've been magic, because there is no way it could've held all of him. A leg came out, long and knobby-kneed, with a huge polished hoof. Then another front leg, then hindquarters, and then the box was empty, nothing but a metal shell with a couple of fake human legs attached.

I stared at the horse who had just sprung from the wheelchair: a huge white stallion. But where its neck should be was the upper body of my Latin teacher, smoothly grafted to the horse's trunk.

"What a relief!" the centaur said. "I had been cooped up in there so long, my fetlocks had fallen asleep! Now, come, Percy Jackson. Let us meet the other campers."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Still Percy's Point of View)**

Once I got over the fact that my Latin teacher was a horse, we had a nice tour, though I was careful not to walk behind him. I had done pooper scooper patrol in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade a few times, and, I am sorry, I did not trust Chiron's back end the way I trusted his front.

We passed the volleyball pit. Several of the campers nudged each other. One pointed to the Minotaur horn I was carrying.

Another said, "That's _him_."

Most of the campers were older than me. Their satyr friends were bigger than Grover, all of them trotting around in orange CAMP HALF-BLOOD T-shirts, with nothing else to cover their bare shaggy hindquarters.

I was not normally shy, but the way they stared at me made me uncomfortable. I felt like they were expecting me to do a cartwheel or something.

I looked back at the farmhouse. It was a lot bigger than I'd realized – four stories tall, sky blue with white trim, like an up market seaside resort. I was checking out the brass eagle weather vane on top when something caught my eye, a shadow in the uppermost window of the attic gable. Something had moved the curtain, just for a second, and I got the distinct impression I was being watched.

"What is up there?" I asked Chiron.

He looked where I was pointing, and his smile faded. "Just the attic."

'Somebody lives there?' I asked.

"No," he said with finality. "Not a single _living_ thing."

I got the feeling he was being truthful. But I was also sure something had moved that curtain.

"Come along, Percy," Chiron said, his lighthearted tone now a little forced. "There is a lot to see."

We walked through the strawberry fields, where campers were picking bushels of berries while a satyr played a tune on a reed pipe.

Chiron told me the camp grew a nice crop for export to New York restaurants and Mount Olympus. "It pays our expenses," he explained. "And the strawberries take almost no effort."

He said Mr. D had this effect on fruit-bearing plants: they just went crazy when he was around. It worked best with wine grapes, but Mr. D was restricted from growing those, so they grew strawberries instead.

I watched the satyr playing his pipe. His music was causing lines of bugs to leave the strawberry patch in every direction, like refugees fleeing a fire. I wondered if Grover could work that kind of magic with music. I wondered if he was still inside the farmhouse, being lectured by Mr. D.

"Grover will not get in too much trouble, will he?" I asked Chiron. 'I mean… he was a good protector. Really."

Chiron sighed. He shed his tweed jacket and draped it over his horse's back like a saddle. "Grover has big dreams, Percy. Perhaps bigger than are reasonable. To reach his goal, he must first demonstrate great courage by succeeding as a keeper, finding a new camper and bringing him safely to Half Blood Hill."

"But he did that!" I said, he did his best protecting me and Peter.

"I might agree with you," Chiron said. "But it is not my place to judge. Dionysus and the Council of Cloven Elders must decide. I am afraid they might not see this assignment as a success. After all, Grover lost you in New York. Then there is the unfortunate… ah… _fate_ of your mother. And the fact that Grover was unconscious when you dragged him over the property line. The council might question whether this shows any courage on Grover's part."

I wanted to protest. None of what had happened was Grover's fault. I also felt really, really guilty. If I had not given Grover the slip at the bus station, he might not have got in trouble.

"He will get a second chance, won't he?" I half asked and half pleaded.

Chiron winced. "I am afraid that _**was**_ Grover's second chance, Percy. The council was not anxious to give him another, either, after what happened the first time, five years ago. Olympus knows, I advised him to wait longer before trying again. He is still so small for his age…"

"How old is he?" I asked curiously.

"Oh, twenty-eight." Chiron said as if it was normal.

"What! And he is in sixth grade?" Yup today I have gone insane, I fought Man Bulls, I met a centaur, I am a friend with a satyrs. Yup when I get back into the city I am checking into the nearest mental hospital!

"Satyrs mature half as fast as humans, Percy. Grover has been the equivalent of a middle school student for the past six years." Chiron explained.

"That is absolutely horrible!" I can barely stay in school at all. I have been to at least six different schools in the past six year, and I cannot go back to Yancy, meaning at least seven schools in six year! Great a new record!

"Quite," Chiron agreed. "At any rate, Grover is a late bloomer, even by satyr standards, and not yet very accomplished at woodland magic. Alas, he was anxious to pursue his dream. Perhaps now he will find some other career…"

"That is not fair,' I said. "What happened the first time? Was it really so bad?"

Chiron looked away quickly. "Let's move along, shall we?"

But I was not quite ready to let the subject drop. Something had occurred to me when Chiron talked about my mother's fate, as if he were intentionally avoiding the word _death._

The beginnings of an idea a tiny, hopeful fire started forming in my mind. "Chiron," I said. "If the gods and Olympus and all that are real…"

"Yes, child?" He said waiting for me to continue.

I asked "Does that mean the Underworld is real, too?"

Chiron's expression darkened "Yes, child." He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. "There is a place where spirits go after death. But for now… until we know more… I would urge you to put that out of your mind."

I caught onto his words and asked "What do you mean, 'until we know more'?"

Chiron deflected the question and said "Come, Percy. Let's see the woods."

As we got closer, I realized just how huge the forest was. It took up at least a quarter of the valley, with trees so tall and thick, you could imagine nobody had been in there since the Native Americans.

Chiron said, "The woods are stocked, if you care to try your luck, but go armed."

"Stocked with what?" I asked. "Armed with what?" I tried looking deeper into the woods hoping to see a glimpse of something. I swear I saw a shadow move and a glint of sliver.

"You will see. Capture the flag is Friday night. Do you have your own sword and shield?"

"My own…" I began to say something, but Chiron cut me off.

"No," Chiron said. "I do not think you do. I think a size five will do. I will visit the armoury later."

I wanted to ask what kind of summer camp had an armoury, but there was too much else to think about, so the tour continued.

We saw the archery range, the canoeing lake, the stables (which Chiron did not seem to like very much), the javelin range, the sing along amphitheatre, and the arena where Chiron said they held sword and spear fights.

"Sword and spear fights?" I asked.

"Cabin challenges and all that," he explained. "Not lethal. Usually. Oh, yes, and there's the mess hall."

Chiron pointed to an outdoor pavilion framed in white Grecian columns on a hill overlooking the sea. There were a dozen stone picnic tables. I noticed that there was no roof and no walls.

"What do you do when it rains?" I asked.

Chiron looked at me as if I'd gone a little weird. "We still have to eat, don't we?" I decided to drop the subject for now.

Finally, he showed me the cabins. There were twelve of them, nestled in the woods by the lake.

They were arranged in a U, with two at the base and five in a row on either side. And they were without doubt the most bizarre collection of buildings I'd ever seen. Except for the fact that each had a large brass number above the door (odds on the left side, evens on the right), they looked absolutely nothing alike.

Number nine had smokestacks like a tiny factory.

Number four had tomato vines on the walls and a roof made out of real grass.

Seven seemed to be made of solid gold, which gleamed so much in the sunlight it was almost impossible to look at.

They all faced a commons area about the size of a soccer field, dotted with Greek statues, fountains, flower beds, and a couple of basketball hoops (which were more my speed).

In the centre of the field was a huge stone-lined fire pit. Even though it was a warm afternoon, the hearth smoldered. A girl about nine years old was tending the flames, poking the coals with a stick. She looked up at me and smiled and waved, I felt a surge of warmth and a feeling of home came to me.

The pair of cabins at the head of the field, numbers one and two, looked like his-and-hers mausoleums, big white marble boxes with heavy columns in front.

Cabin one was the biggest and bulkiest of the twelve. Its polished bronze doors shimmered like a holograph, so that from different angles lightning bolts seemed to streak across them.

Cabin two was more graceful somehow, with slimmer columns garlanded with pomegranates and flowers. The walls were carved with images of peacocks.

"Zeus and Hera?" I guessed.

"Correct," Chiron said.

"Their cabins look empty." I stated.

"Several of the cabins are. That is true. No one ever stays in one or two."

Okay. So each cabin had a different god, like a mascot. Twelve cabins for the twelve Olympians. But why would some be empty?

I stopped in front of the first cabin on the left, cabin three. It was not high and mighty like cabin one, but long and low and solid. The outer walls were of rough grey stone studded with pieces of seashell and coral, as if the slabs had been hewn straight from the bottom of the ocean floor.

I peeked inside the open doorway and Chiron said, "Oh, I wouldn't do that!"

Before he could pull me back, I caught the salty scent of the interior, like the wind on the shore at Montauk. The interior walls glowed like abalone. There were six empty bunk beds with silk sheets turned down. But there was no sign anyone had ever slept there. The place felt so sad and lonely, I was glad when Chiron put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Come along, Percy."

Most of the other cabins were crowded with campers.

Number five was bright red – a real nasty paint job, as if the colour had been splashed on with buckets and fists. The roof was lined with barbed wire. A stuffed wild boar's head hung over the doorway, and its eyes seemed to follow me. Inside I could see a bunch of mean-looking kids, both girls and boys, arm wrestling and arguing with each other while rock music blared. The loudest was a girl maybe thirteen or fourteen. She wore a size XXXL Camp Half-Blood T-shirt under a camouflage jacket. She zeroed in on me and gave me an evil sneer.

She reminded me of Nancy Bobofit, though the camper girl was much bigger and tougher looking, and her hair was long and stringy, and brown instead of red.

I kept walking, trying to stay clear of Chiron's hooves. "We have not seen any other centaurs." I observed.

"No," said Chiron sadly. "My kinsmen are a wild and barbaric folk, I am afraid. You might encounter them in the wilderness, or at major sporting events. But you will not see any here."

I asked him "You said your name was Chiron. Are you really…"

He smiled down at me. And said " _The_ Chiron from the stories? Trainer of Hercules and all that? Yes, Percy, I am."

"But, shouldn't you be dead?" I asked.

Chiron paused, as if the question intrigued him. "I honestly do not know about _should_ be. The truth is, I _can't_ be dead. You see, eons ago the gods granted my wish. I could continue the work I loved. I could be a teacher of heroes as long as humanity needed me. I gained much from that wish… and I gave up much. But I am still here, so I can only assume I am still needed."

I thought about being a teacher for three thousand years. It would not have made my Top Ten Things to Wish For list. "Doesn't it ever get boring?" I asked.

"No, no," he said. "Horribly depressing, at times, but never boring."

"Why is it depressing?" I asked

Chiron seemed to turn hard of hearing again. "Oh, look," he said. "Annabeth is waiting for us."

The blonde girl I'd met at the Big House was reading a book in front of the last cabin on the left, number eleven.

When we reached her, she looked me over critically, like she was still thinking about how much I drooled.

I tried to see what she was reading, but I couldn't make out the title. I thought my dyslexia was acting up. Then I realized the title wasn't even English. The letters looked Greek to me _. I mean, literally Greek_. There were pictures of temples and statues and different kinds of columns, like those in an architecture book.

"Annabeth," Chiron said, "I have masters' archery class at noon. Would you take Percy from here?"

"Yes, sir." Was her reply.

"Cabin eleven," Chiron told me, gesturing towards the doorway. "Make yourself at home."

Out of all the cabins, eleven looked the most like a regular old summer camp cabin, with the emphasis on _old_. The threshold was worn down, the brown paint peeling. Over the doorway was one of those doctor's symbols, a winged pole with two snakes wrapped around it. What did they call it…? A caduceus?

Inside, it was packed with people, both boys and girls, way more than the number of bunk beds. Sleeping bags were spread all over on the floor. It looked like a gym where the Red Cross had set up an evacuation centre.

Chiron did not go in. The door was too low for him. But when the campers saw him they all stood and bowed respectfully.

"Well, then," Chiron said. "Good luck, Percy. I will see you at dinner." He galloped away towards the archery range.

I stood in the doorway, looking at the kids. They were not bowing any more. They were staring at me, sizing me up. I knew this routine. I had gone through it at enough schools.

"Well?" Annabeth prompted. "Go on."

So naturally I tripped coming in the door and made a total fool of myself. There were some snickers from the campers, but none of them said anything.

Annabeth announced, "Percy Jackson, meet cabin eleven."

"Regular or undetermined?" somebody asked.

I did not know what to say, but Annabeth said, "Undetermined."

Everybody groaned.

A guy who was a little older than the rest came forward. "Now, now, campers. That is what we're here for. Welcome, Percy. You can have that spot on the floor, right over there."

The guy was about nineteen, and he looked pretty cool. He was tall and muscular, with short cropped sandy hair and a friendly smile. He wore an orange tank top, cutoffs, sandals and a leather necklace with five different colored clay beads. The only thing unsettling about his appearance was a thick white scar that ran from just beneath his right eye to his jaw, like an old knife slash.

"This is Luke," Annabeth said, and her voice sounded different somehow. I glanced over and could have sworn she was blushing. She saw me looking, and her expression hardened again. "He is your counselor for now."

"For now?" I asked.

"You are undetermined," Luke explained patiently. "They do not know what cabin to put you in, so you are here. Cabin eleven takes all newcomers, all visitors. Naturally, we would. Hermes, our patron, is the god of travellers."

I looked at the tiny section of floor they had given me. I had nothing to put there to mark it as my own, no luggage, no clothes, no sleeping bag. Just the Minotaur's horn. I thought about setting that down, but then I remembered that Hermes was also the god of thieves.

I looked around at the campers' faces, some sullen and suspicious, some grinning stupidly, some eyeing me as if they were waiting for a chance to pick my pockets. I also looked for something at would belong to Peter, but he like me, had nothing so pack or lose in this case.

"How long will I be here?" I asked.

"Good question," Luke said. "Until you are determined."

"How long will that take?" I asked.

The campers all laughed as if I told a great joke.

"Come on," Annabeth told me. "I will show you the volleyball court."

"But I have already seen it." I whined.

"Come on." She grabbed my wrist and dragged me outside. I could hear the kids of cabin eleven laughing behind me.

When we were a few meters away, Annabeth said, "Jackson, you have to do better than that."

"What?" Will someone please actually give me a straight answer?!

She rolled her eyes and mumbled under her breath, "I can't believe I thought you were the one."

"What is your problem?" I was getting angry now. "All I know is, I kill some bull guy-"

"Do not talk like that!" Annabeth told me. "You know how many kids at this camp wish they woul, had your chance?"

"To what? A chance to get killed?!" I exclaimed.

"To fight the Minotaur! What do you think we train for?!" Annabeth said frustrated.

I shook my head. "Look, if the thing I fought really was _the_ Minotaur, the same one in the stories…"

"Yes…" She waited for me to continue.

"Then there is only one of them right?" I asked.

She said "Yes."

"And he died, like, a gajillion years ago, right? Theseus killed him in the labyrinth. So…"

"Monsters do not die, Percy. They can be killed. But they do not die." She explained.

"Oh, thanks. That clears it up." I said with sarcasm thick in my voice.

"They do not have souls, like you and me. You can dispel them for a while, maybe even for a whole lifetime if you are lucky. But they are primal forces. Chiron calls them archetypes. Eventually, they reform."

I thought about Mrs. Dodd. "You mean if I killed one, accidentally, with a sword…"

"The Fu… I mean, your math teacher. That is correct. She is still out there. You just made her very, very mad."

"How did you know about Mrs. Dodd?'

"You talk in your sleep." She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, I remember Peter telling me o both drooled and spoke in my sleep, I thought he might have been joking until now.

"You almost called her something. A Fury? They are Hades' torturers, right?"

Annabeth glanced nervously at the ground, as if she expected it to open up and swallow her. "You should not call them by name, even here. We call them the Kindly Ones, if we have to speak of them at all."

"Look, is there anything we _can_ say without it thundering?" I sounded whiny, even to myself, but right then I did not care. "Why do I have to stay in cabin eleven, anyway? Why is everybody so crowded together? There are plenty of empty bunks right over there."

I pointed to the first few cabins, and Annabeth turned pale. "You do not just choose a cabin, Percy. It depends on who your parents are. Or… your parent."

She stared at me, waiting for me to get it.

"My mom is Sally Jackson," I said. "She works at the candy store in Grand Central Station. At least, she used to…" I choked back tears that wanted to fall, I willed them to stay back.

"I am sorry about your mom, Percy. But that is not what I mean. I am talking about your other parent: Your dad."

"He is dead. I never knew him." I said.

Annabeth sighed. Clearly, she would had this conversation before with other kids. "Your father is not dead, Percy."

"How can you say that? You know him?" I asked half excited and half critical.

"No, of course not!" She said irritatedly.

"Then how can you say –"

"Because I know _you_. You would not be here if you were not one of us!"

"You do not know anything about me!" I said, once again growing frustrated.

"No?" She raised an eyebrow. "I bet you moved around from school to school. I bet you were kicked out of a lot of them."

"How-" She cut me off, she was on a roll.

"Diagnosed with dyslexia. Probably ADHD, too."

I tried to swallow my embarrassment. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Taken together, it is almost a sure sign. The letters float off the page when you read, right? That's because your mind is hardwired for ancient Greek. And the ADHD; you are impulsive, can't sit still in the classroom. That's your battlefield reflexes. In a real fight, they'd keep you alive. As for the attention problems, that is because you see too much, Percy, not too little. Your senses are better than a regular mortal's. Of course the teachers want you medicated. Most of them are monsters. They do not want you seeing them for what they are."

"You sound like… you went through the same thing?" I asked forgetting about my anger.

"Most of the kids here did. If you were not like us, you could not have survived the Minotaur, much less the ambrosia and nectar."

I asked "Ambrosia and nectar."

"The food and drink we were giving you to make you better. That stuff would have killed a normal kid. It would have turned your blood to fire and your bones to sand and you would be dead. Face it. You are a half blood."

A half-blood. I was reeling with so many questions I Did not know where to start.

Then a husky voice yelled, "Well! A newbie!"

I looked over. The big girl from the ugly red cabin was sauntering towards us. She had three other girls behind her, all big and ugly and mean looking like her, all wearing camo jackets.

"Clarisse," Annabeth sighed. "Why do not you go polish your spear or something?"

"Sure, Miss Princess," the big girl said with a sneer "So I can run you through with it Friday night."

" _Errete es korakas,_ " Annabeth said, which I somehow understood was Greek for "Go to the crows", though I had a feeling it was a worse curse than it sounded. "You do not stand a chance!"

"We will pulverize you!" Clarisse said, but her eye twitched. Perhaps she was not sure she could follow through on the threat. She turned towards me. "Who is this little runt?"

"Percy Jackson" Annabeth said, "meet Clarisse, Daughter of Ares."

I blinked. "Like… the war god?"

Clarisse sneered. "You got a problem with that?"

"No," I said, recovering my wits. "It explains the bad smell."

Clarisse growled. "We got an initiation ceremony for newbies, Prissy."

"Percy." I said with a growl. I did not like cabin five at all now.

"Whatever. Come on, I will show you." Clarisse said.

"Clarisse-" Annabeth tried to say.

"Stay out of it, wise girl."

Annabeth looked pained, but she did stay out of it, and I did not really want her help. I was the new kid. I had to earn my own rep.

I handed Annabeth my Minotaur horn and got ready to fight, but before I knew it, Clarisse had me by the neck and was dragging me towards a cinder-block building that I knew immediately was the bathroom.

I was kicking and punching. I had been in plenty of fights before, but this big girl Clarisse had hands like iron. She dragged me into the girls' bathroom. There was a line of toilets on one side and a line of shower stalls down the other. It smelled just like any public bathroom, and I was thinking as much as I _could_ think with Clarisse ripping my hair out that if this place belonged to the gods, they should have been able to afford classier toilets.

Clarisse's friends were all laughing, and I was trying to find the strength I'd used to fight the Minotaur, but it just was not there.

"Like he is 'Big Three' material," Clarisse said as she pushed me towards one of the toilets. "Yeah, right. Minotaur probably fell over laughing, he was so stupid-looking."

Her friends snickered.

Annabeth stood in the corner, watching through her fingers.

Clarisse bent me over on my knees and started pushing my head towards the toilet bowl. It reeked like rusted pipes and, well, like what goes into toilets. I strained to keep my head up. I was looking at the scummy water thinking, I will not go into that. I just won't!

Then something happened. I felt a tug in the pit of my stomach. I heard the plumbing rumble, the pipes shudder. Clarisse's grip on my hair loosened. Water shot out of the toilet, making an arc straight over my head, and the next thing I knew, I was sprawled on the bathroom tiles with Clarisse screaming behind me.

I turned just as water blasted out of the toilet again, hitting Clarisse straight in the face so hard it pushed her down onto her butt. The water stayed on her like the spray from a fire hose, pushing her backwards into a shower stall.

She struggled, gasping, and her friends started coming towards her. But then the other toilets exploded, too, and six more streams of toilet water blasted them back. The showers acted up, too, and together all the fixtures sprayed the camouflage girls right out of the bathroom, spinning them around like pieces of garbage being washed away.

As soon as they were out the door, I felt the tug in my gut lessen, and the water shut off as quickly as it had started.

The entire bathroom was flooded. Annabeth hadn't been spared. She was dripping wet, but she had not been pushed out the door. She was standing in exactly the same place, staring at me in shock.

I looked down and realized I was sitting in the only dry spot in the whole room. There was a circle of dry floor around me. I did not have one drop of water on my clothes. Nothing. I stood up, my legs shaky.

Annabeth began to ask me, "How did you…"

I told her the truth "I do not know."

We walked to the door. Outside, Clarisse and her friends were sprawled in the mud, and a bunch of other campers had gathered around to gawk. Clarisse's hair was flattened across her face. Her

camouflage jacket was sopping and she smelled like sewage. She gave me a look of absolute hatred.

"You… are… **dead** , new boy. You are totally dead!"

I probably should have let it go, but I said, "You want to gargle with toilet water again, Clarisse? Then close your mouth!"

Her friends had to hold her back. They dragged her towards cabin five, while the other campers made way to avoid her flailing feet.

Annabeth stared at me. I could not tell whether she was just grossed out or angry at me for dousing her.

"What?" I demanded. "What are you thinking?"

"I am thinking," She said, "that I want you on my team for capture the flag."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Flash Back: 36 Hours Ago"**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Annabeth tried to tell me about the camp and about the overall Greek Mythology and how most of it was real. I knew that much to be true! I have a gift of making people real angry really quickly. She stormed off, leaving me alone.

I chuckled when she stormed off; they warned me about the woods and how it can be dangerous, but me being me. I will take my chances. I mean what is the worst that happens? I die? Worse has happened already.

I wanted to keep as much of my weapons that I can unknown. My sister taught me that. She was the best…

A was walking in the woods when. I heard a crunch on the dead leaves. I formed a sword out of the shadows and darkness around me.

I could smell something in the woods, it was some sort of dog thing, but it was not a dog, it reeked, I cannot place the smell, but I smelt it from somewhere…"

It was NOT a Hell Hound, nor was it any wolf I had ever smelt. This creature was far faster than most things, I could tell there was only one, unless thing one was a distraction while the others sneak up, but that is very unlikely, I would have sensed other bodies of water.

I felt a tingly sensation on the back of my head, and it seemed as if time slowed down, my body moved on autopilot as I dove to the right, a huge gash appeared in the tree that was next to me a second ago.

I growled and said with a snarl in my voice "You want to play? Then let's play!" I crouched down and pulled out my eight inch silver double edged dagger from my right boot and I held it in reverse grip. That way not only was it a strong attack (though it lacked the range that a standard does) it was also defensive, when I held it, I held it so it guarded my inside of the forearm where all of the veins are.

I also formed a sword out of darkness and ice. I absorbed the moisture from the air then froze it into ice. It was a short sword, but it would pair nicely with the dagger.

I shut my eyes and I could feel something coming from behind, once again I felt time slow as the tingly sensation happened at the back of my head. This time my body jumped up and did a back flip, I landed on the…

Werewolf?!

I just landed on a freaking werewolf!

I back flipped, and then landed on a werewolf… Ok I am just going to accept it for now and worry about the remaining of my sanity later. Once I landed on the werewolf's shoulder I instinctively stabbed the werewolf in the head with the silver knife, while at the same time, I used my shadow and ice sword to stab him in the heart. The werewolf turned into a pile of golden dust.

I fell and almost landed on my ice and shadow short sword. I looked my body over for bites or any other injury. I found a actually relatively deep scratch on the back of my right elbow… Maybe I landed wrong when I dove out of the way right?

I once again pulled water out of the air and then I placed the pure water on my wound, it began to heal, it was healing slower than normal, but far faster than any mortal and faster than most half bloods. Once I was healed I felt my adrenaline rush die. I was exhausted, pulling water out of the air and turning it to ice takes a lot out of you. Maybe I should have let a person or two know where I was…

I saw a creek, I stumbled towards it. I made it to the creek's edge where my legs gave out, I face planted on the rocks, somehow I did not chip any teeth and I did not break my nose. I felt darkness coming, I tried to will the water to me, but I was too drained.

I must have drawn the attention of the naiad of the creek. I saw a face of a beautiful girl as I felt a pair of wet hands help me into the creek before I fell into darkness…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 3 Hours Later)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up sometime later underwater. I still felt tired, but I was no longer crippled by exhaustion. I looked around and I was lying on stones of a creek bed. I looked around and I saw the naiad that helped me before I fell. I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, which is not possible, due to me being under water… yet is his happening…

My voice was weak and pain as I croaked out "What happened?" I went into a coughing fit.

She swam over and rubbed my back, I flinched and froze the moment she touched me, but I quickly recovered and allowed her to try to help me.

She asked me "What happened to you? When you got here, you were nearly dead!"

I muttered an apology about being at death's door so close to her front porch. She gave me a look that my sister gave to me when she wanted answers that said 'shut up and give me what I want NOW!' I gave her a nod and told her about me being new to Camp Half Blood, and I told her about my old life, or parts of it.

She told me I could always come to the creek whenever I would like, and she would tell the other naiad and nymphs about me. I tried to convince her not to, but she would not take no for an answer, at least I know she cares.

I never did get her name; either that or she had no name.

She gave me some short of berry and apologized for not having anything better, I told her not to worry about it, and the berries were great, and they were!

We spoke for some time before I was ushered back into a deep slumber…

However, that sleep was not dreamless. I dreamed that was under ground with a blood red sky. The ground was made of broken black glass. The air was thick with sulfur that burned my throat. The air itself was murderous. There was a river of fire, no not lava, but literally a river of fire that was a scar on the dark landscape.

I saw someone, he was nearly six foot maybe six foot two inches, and between two hundred and two hundred and twenty pounds, pure muscles, not a trace of fat. He had brown hair and icy blue eyes. All he had was a pair of black skin tight pants. He had a few scars on his body, but they seemed to be fading. He had some sort of claw that looked like to be made of bone coming out of his middle knuckle; it was covered in red, liking like it was bloody.

He looked in my direction as he sheathed his claws within his forearm. He grinned and said "Hello my friend."

I was about to freak out, but a huge man in cruel black armor walked through me, I could sense power rolling off him in waves. He said in a deep calm voice, "Hello Peter. Next time contact me before blowing steam, I thought one of the monster were being releashed."

Peter chuckled darkly and said "One was…" I had a feeling they were talking about to different monsters…

I had a few questions; One, why am I dreaming this and why am I having a déjà moment? Two, why is this guy named Peter and why do I recognize this man in dark armor? Three, I have a feeling I have been there and done that, and so much more…

The scene changed from the from the cruel underworld of the Underworld.

I now stood in the center of camp, I walked around a little, and most of the tents were silvery in color. The moon was far brighter than I have ever seen it. The trees around looked like there were far older than a century. There was a fire in the center of camp; there were about ten tents, I looked around and saw nobody. I walked towards the fire and when I did, I saw a glimpse of silver and a shadow of black flash by.

I looked around and saw the same man standing in the shadows with a bow made out of two metals one was black and the other was a red metal. He was wearing some sort of mail armor that was black; on his chest was a white or maybe a sliver colored symbol of a star, moon, wolf and a spider. The main two were moon and spider. But at the same time it looked like a blank space, just all black. I had a feeling that, that was a trick of my mind.

A girl of about sixteen years old, but I could tell she was much, much older and far more powerful than a mortal. She said "Nice try Pete, maybe you can beat me next time."

Peter chuckled with a happy grin on his face "Maybe next time Arty? I thought I won because I spit a few arrows more than you did."

'Arty' blushed and said trying to be mad "I shot _**more**_ arrows so I won!"

Peter chuckled and said "Whatever you say Arty, whatever you say."

Arty playfully push Peter's chest knocking him off the tree he was leaning on. Peter stumbled and fell on his backside, but I could tell he was playing around with her.

Arty rushed over and tried to help Peter up, but Peter pulled her down on top of him and locked his arms and legs around her. Peter whispered in her ear "I've got you now Artemis… What are you going to do now?"

Arty snuggled down into Peter's chest and muttered something that I could not understand. Peter chuckled as he sat up and carried her bridal style. Artemis muttered "I was comfy!" She pouted. She was _**SOOO**_ cute when she pouted!

I then realized that if this was THEE Artemis she would either kill me or turn me into a jackalope should she find out I thought that!

Peter shook his head chuckling and walked into camp, he carried her towards the largest one. He walked in and about five minute later he walked out, alone.

Another girl between fourteen and sixteen ran to Peter and gave him a huge hug, she had a wolf pendant. Peter gave a hearty laugh and said "It's good to see you too Zoe!"

Zoe pulled away and asked concern filled her eyes "Peter are the rumors true?"

Peter asked "Which ones?"

"Are you going away again?" Zoe asked/

Peter sighed and said sadly "Yes, but I did come and visit with you Arty and the rest of the Hunt. I was not going to leave without giving you and Arty a heads up."

Zoe frowned and sighed "You just came back!"

Peter gave her a sad smile and said "Sorry Zoe, it is a curse the Wanderer must bare and must bare it alone. Maybe in time I can settle down, but now is not the time."

Zoe asked "Promise me you will visit me?"

Peter sighed and said "I will when I can, but you know what happened last time, it took nearly five decades for the thing to go right, then it took another fifteen years to remember! I will if I can, but please do not shoot me on sight if I do not remember you."

"When are you leaving?" Zoe asked him.

Peter said "Tomorrow, either after breakfast or shortly after lunch. I want to say goodbye one last time."

Zoe gave him a weak smile before hugging him one last time.

The scene faded away again.

I then dreamed I saw a man clad in red and blue crawling up a wall. I knew this guy; Spider Man.

He shot a web line and web slung away, my view followed him. He went to a tower with a giant "A" on it. He landed on the helipad and took off his mask, it was Peter!

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: 5 hours)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up with a start. The dreams seemed just too real. I felt as if it was me. I was dreaming about myself in third person. I think I am going crazy. I am already only half sane. I am only half crazy it is hard not to fall into full insanity.

I shut my eyes as I calmed myself down, I knew what I saw was real, it happened. But why was I viewing them? I have heard about demigod dreams, but this was not one of them, or at least one that that I have heard of.

I saw the naiad. She looked over to me, eyes full of concern. I told her "I had a nightmare" she believed it easy enough. I thanked her for her hospitality and I left the safety of the creek.

I walked into a shadow and closed my eyes; I pictured myself in my old room at Yancy. I vanished into the darkness.

I appeared in my old room, which was luckily still unused.

I walked out of the room, I had nothing in there. I knew I needed a new trench coat, maybe a Kevlar and leather this time.

I walked out of the room and then I began to walk out of the dorm. I walked until I was out on the street; from there I was able to go to the store.

I went to the store I walked in and glanced at the clothes, none of them spoke to me, and nothing caught my eye. I went to the back of the store where I had first found the trench coats. Lucky for me they still had them. However these ones had a few spikes on the leather, similar to " _ **Ghost Rider**_ ". I also bought another pair of spiked gloves. I could not find any leather pants with spikes, but I did not need it.

I went to the pay counter and I purchased them using a black debit card with a skull on it.

I kept my old clothes, because I could patch up the hole later, but I needed new clothes anyway.

I went to the autoshop that was nearby. I walked in and I looked around a bit. It was funny to look at the people giving me queer looks. Let's look from their perspective. A twelve year old, in a sliver spiked, black, leather trench coat, walks into an autoshop. I do not blame them.

I found a good chain somewhere between four and five feet long, it was a little on the heavy side, but it felt nice. I walked to the counter, the clerk opened his mouth, I shot him a glare that told him to shut up and ring the cost. He swiped it and the total cost was $50.25.

I handed him the card, he looked at it skeptically but swiped through the machine anyway. To say he and everyone else was shocked would be a understatement.

I wrapped the chains around my left and right shoulder alternating between the two before leaving the autoshop.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Third Person Point of View)**

Peter left the autoshop with the chain wrapped around him from the top of his left shoulder, and it wrapping under the right armpit two or three times. The chain was made of stainless steel; each link was about an inch long and a quarter of an inch thick. He wore his black, leather trench coat that had four spikes on each shoulder, and one on each elbow. Granted the spikes ranged from a quarter inch to a half inch. He wore thick, black leather pants.

The reason why he wears leather is not because he is a 'bad boy' ( _ **which he is**_ ) it is because leather is super durable, and strong. People use to wear leather armor, so Peter wore the leather as a form of protection.

Why does he wear black leather instead of say… brown? He takes after Hades in the fact he likes black, besides black blends in with darkness better than other colors.

Why does he have a hoodie? It is to help hide his face, to hide his identity. He would prefer if he could remain unseen and unknown. He is afraid if someone is able to look into his eyes, they could see what he is; a broken child.

Peter was walking down the street towards his dorm room, when he heard a faint cry for help. He wanted to say it was a mind's trick, or it was another Cyclopes trying to get him again, but deep down he knew it was not, he knew someone needed help, and he was going to be the One.

Peter ran into the shadow and shadow traveled towards the voice. It took four shadow travels, before he could easily hear.

He ran towards the wailing now, he could tell it was definitely female. Something inside him snapped, and his body went on autopilot. He ran right into the alley. There were two large men surrounding a girl about six years old. She was ginger headed, she was wearing a pair of ripped up and dirty jeans, and a filthy pink T shirt. Freckles covered her face and what he could see of her arms.

Peter said in a deadly cold tone will of rage and anger wanting to be unleashed, but it was controlled, but barely "Have you heard the saying ' _pick on someone your own size_ '?"

Dude one said "Who's there?!"

Peter replied stepping out of the shadows "Your worst nightmare!"

Dude two said with a snort "We can take him Rob!"

Rob said with a growl "You are right Chuck!" He pulled out a knife.

Chuck turned around and held a crowbar in hand.

Peter smirked evilly and took a step back into the shadow and he disappeared.

Rob asked freaking out "Where is he?!"

"Right here…" Peter whispered from behind, he snapped the chain, cracking the man's right knee. The man fell hard holding his broken knee. Rob began to cuss. Peter made a wide arc and the chain hit Rob in the head knocking him out cold… for now…

Chuck charged Peter with the crowbar high over head.

Peter folded the chain in half and grabbed onto both ends.

Chuck swung down, Peter used the chain to block the strike, and Peter then used the chain to wrap around the crowbar as he spun out of the way.

The crowbar was ripped out his hands. Peter grabbed the crowbar and he swung at the man's left knee there was a sickening * _ **CRACK**_ * as the knee bent at a sick angle, but to Peter it was a sweet sound.

Chuck fell down and be began to beg for mercy.

Peter looked at him coldly and said "Sorry, I am fresh out of Mercy…" He brought the crowbar crashing down on his head smashing it into the concrete. Peter muttered something in Ancient Greek, the air seemed to become colder and the shadows darker. Chuck's body was swallowed by the darkness.

Peter turned to the little girl who was shaking in fear but was also in shock. She asked in a scared voice "Please don't hurt me!"

Peter's demeanor immediately soften, Peter knelt down to one knee and said softly "I am not going to hurt you, I promise."

The girl opened her eyes, eyes full of tears; she asked "Really?"

Peter gave her a soft smile "Really, I promise never to hurt you. I only hurt those two because they were bad people."

The girl looked hard into his eyes before giving him a shaky nod.

Peter asked "Can I have your name? My name is Peter?"

The girl frowned and said "You already have a name, why do you want mine?"

Peter chuckled and said amused "That means I would like to know your name."

The girl smiled and said "Brook"

The vigilante said to Brook "Do you have any place to stay?"

Brook shook her head and said "No."

The vigilante said "I think I know a place where you will like. It is a place where boys are not allowed, unless it is an extreme emergency."

Brook looked thoughtful before asking "Will I see you again?"

Peter gave a tired shrug and said "Maybe, maybe not. But the answer is probably yes, yes you will."

Brook gave him a smile and nodded her head and jumped up and down in excitement.

Peter put his hand on the ground and he pulled out a diamond. He made a rainbow by using it to refract the light. He tossed a Drachma into the rainbow the coin disappeared then he said "Iris please show me Lady Artemis."

A hologram appeared of a girl looking twelve years old with silver eyes and auburn hair appeared. Peter waited for her to finish taking her shot with the bow before clearing his throat. She shot an arrow straight into Peter's chest, but since it was a hologram it went straight through. Pete said with a bow "Lady Artemis, I have a young girl by the name of Brook, she would like to join the hunt if she could. I do not know where the Hunt is and I do not think I would be welcomed at your camp."

Artemis was speechless for a second, before quickly recovering and saying coldly "I would normally castrate any male her would dare interrupt me, but since you are helping a maiden I will over look it this one time."

Peter gave her another bow and said "Thank you milady." The sun went behind the sun cutting off the Iris Message.

Brook looked at Peter and opened her mouth, Peter said before she could utter a word "There is much to be learned, just know most everything you have been taught has been a lie."

She gave a nod.

Peter asked her while waiting for Artemis "So Brook, do you have any more family?"

Brook shook her head and said "My mommy left me with my daddy when I was born. My daddy died a few months ago. I was living with my mean uncles."

Peter gave her a sad smile and he said "I know your mother loved you. She had to leave to protect you." Peter handed her the diamond and said "Something to remember me by."

Brook smiled and she leapt into his arms, Peter caught, but he stumbled back and he tripped over a garbage can lid then he fell over and hit his head on the wall, knocking him out.

A few moments later, there was a bright silver flash and Artemis stood before them. She saw Peter and she quickly knelt at his side and shot a beam of silver energy into his chest.

Peter's eyes shot open, he relaxed when he saw Brook. He saw Artemis and gave her the best nod he could while lying on his back.

Artemis looked at Brook and they spoke about Greek Mythology and finally they spoke the vows; "I Brook do solemnly swear to sever Lady Artemis all of the days of my life from this day forth. I will turn my back on the company of man."

Artemis said "I accept your oath." She placed a hand on Brook's shoulder and Brook had a slight sliver aura about her.

Peter sat up so he was leaning against the wall. Peter smiled at Brook, happy for her.

Brook looked at Peter then at Artemis, Artemis gave her a nod. Brook gave Peter one last hug before whispering in his "Thank you…"

Peter hugged her back and whispered back "You are welcome Brook, may luck follow you. **"**

Brook smiled before going to Artemis.

Artemis looked at Peter and said "I give you permission to Iris Message me whenever you have news of a maiden."

Peter gave her a deep bow and said "Thank you Lady Artemis!"

Peter looked away and shut his eyes before Artemis flashed herself and Brook away.

Peter heard Rob groan, Peter grabbed his chains, he began to twirl them, and they would hit the ground and spark, making deep gouges in the concrete. He stalked towards him slowly and deliberately. Rob tried to scoot back, but his back was against a wall. He opened his mouth, but Peter said cold "Because you have shown no mercy, none shall be shown towards you. I Peter Perseus curse you do the Field of Punishment, may you never fade and feel pain for the rest of eternity." He swung the chain down in a deadly downward arc killing Rob instantly.

Peter once again muttered in Ancient Greek and the darkness swallowed up the body and it cleaned up the blood stains.

A growl could be heard by Peter. Peter placed a hand on his empty and complaining stomach.

He sighed and walked out of the dark alley. He walked into a nearby fast food joint, he did not care what it was, it would be better than a lot of things he had to eat in the past. He bought double meat and double cheese hamburgers and two large fries, and a two liter bottle of root beer.

Peter sat in the back of the restaurant. He had hid his chains underneath his trench coat so no one would freak out too much more than they were already. Peter wolfed down his food. He left the restaurant just as quickly as he came.

Peter went to a few stores and bought a few chemicals from each store, his body went on autopilot as he got what he needed. He walked to his dorm put the chemicals and watches together as if he had done it before, he modified the watches and once he was done he crashed onto the bed, forgetting about Camp Half Blood.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Time Skip: Present)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

Word of the bathroom incident spread immediately. Wherever I went, campers pointed at me and murmured something about toilet water. Or maybe they were just staring at Annabeth, who was still pretty much dripping wet.

She showed me a few more places: the metal shop (where kids were forging their own swords), the arts-and-crafts room (where satyrs were sandblasting a giant marble statue of a goat-man), and the climbing wall, which actually consisted of two facing walls that shook violently, dropped boulders, sprayed lava and clashed together if you didn't get to the top fast enough.

Finally we returned to the canoeing lake, where the trail led back to the cabins.

"I've got training to do," Annabeth said flatly. "Dinner is at seven thirty. Just follow your cabin to the mess hall."

"Annabeth, I am sorry about the toilets..."

"Whatever." She said with a huff.

"It was not my fault." I said.

She looked at me skeptically, and I realized it _was_ my fault. I had made water shoot out of the bathroom fixtures. I did not understand how. But the toilets had responded to me. I had become one with the plumbing.

"You need to talk to the Oracle." Annabeth said.

"Who?" I asked.

"Not who. What. The Oracle. I will ask Chiron." She said.

I stared into the lake, wishing somebody would give me a straight answer for once.

I was not expecting anybody to be looking back at me from the bottom, so my heart skipped a beat when I noticed two teenage girls sitting cross legged at the base of the pier, about five meters below.

They wore blue jeans and shimmering green T-shirts, and their brown hair floated loose around their shoulders as minnows darted in and out. They smiled and waved as if I were a long lost friend. I did not know what else to do. So I waved back.

"Do not encourage them!" Annabeth warned. "Naiads are terrible flirts."

"Naiads?" I repeated, feeling completely overwhelmed. "That is it! I want to go home now!"

Annabeth frowned. "You do not you get it, Percy? You _are_ home. This is the only safe place on earth for kids like us!"

I snapped back and asked "You mean, mentally disturbed kids?"

"I mean _not human._ Not totally human, anyway. Half human." She explained.

"Half human and half what?" I asked.

"I think you know." She said flatly.

I did not want to admit it, but I was afraid I did. I felt a tingling in my limbs, a sensation I sometimes felt when my mom talked about my dad.

"God," I said. "Half god."

Annabeth nodded. "Your father is not dead. Percy. He is one of the Olympians."

"That is… crazy!" I exclaimed.

"Is it? What is the most common thing gods did in the old stories? They ran around falling in love with humans and having kids with them. Do you think they have changed their habits in the last few millennia?"

"But those are just –" I almost said _myths_ again. Then I remembered Chiron's warning that in two thousand years, _I_ might be considered a myth. "But if all the kids here are half gods…"

"Demigods," Annabeth said. "That is the official term. Or half bloods."

"Then who is your dad?" I asked confused.

Her hands tightened around the pier railing. I got the feeling I had just trespassed on a sensitive subject…

"My dad is a professor at West Point," she said. 'I have not seen him since I was very small. He teaches American history."

"He is human…" I stated, I thought about it I remembered other goddesses…

"What? You assume it has to be a male god who finds a human female attractive? How sexist is that?" She asked her temper showing.

" Ok who is your mom, then?" I asked.

"Cabin six." She stated somewhat proud.

"Meaning?..." I was waiting for an explanation.

Annabeth straightened. "Athena. Goddess of wisdom and battle."

' _Okay_ ,' I thought.' _Why not_?' I then asked "And my dad is?"

"Undetermined," Annabeth said, "like I told you before. Nobody knows."

"Except for my mother. She knew." I said proudly.

"Maybe not, Percy. Gods do not always reveal their identities." She said.

I told her convinced "My dad would have. He loved her."

Annabeth gave me a cautious look. She did not want to burst my bubble. "Maybe you're right. Maybe he will send a sign. That is the only way to know for sure: your father has to send you a sign claiming you as his son. Sometimes it happens."

"You mean sometimes it does not?" I asked, there were now slight ripple in the lake, but no wind was blowing, neither one of us noticed this.

Annabeth ran her palm along the rail. "The gods are busy. They have a lot of kids and they do not always… Well, sometimes they do not care about us, Percy. They ignore us."

I thought about some of the kids I had seen in the Hermes cabin, teenagers who looked sullen and depressed, as if they were waiting for a call that would never come. I had known kids like that at Yancy Academy, shuffled off to boarding school by rich parents who did not have the time to deal with them. But gods should behave better. "So I am stuck here," I said. "That is it? For the rest of my life?"

"It depends," Annabeth said. "Some campers only stay the summer. If you are a child of Aphrodite or Demeter, you are probably not a real powerful force. The monsters might ignore you, so you can get by with a few months of summer training and live in the mortal world the rest of the year. But for some of us, it's too dangerous to leave. We are year rounders. In the mortal world, we attract monsters. They sense us. They come to challenge us. Most of the time, they will ignore us until we are old enough to cause trouble about ten or eleven years old but after that most demigods either make their way here, or they get killed off. A few manage to survive in the outside world and become famous.

Believe me, if I told you the names, you would know them. Some do not even realize they are demigods. But very, very few are like that."

"So monsters can't get in here?" I asked.

Annabeth shook her head. "Not unless they are intentionally stocked in the woods or specially summoned by somebody on the inside."

"Why would anybody want to summon a monster?" I asked getting nervous about the woods where I had last heard where Peter was.

"Practice fights. Practical jokes." As if it was a common thing.

"Practical jokes?" I echoed not liking the idea in the slightest.

"The point is, is that the borders are sealed to keep mortals and monsters out. From the outside, mortals look into the valley and see nothing unusual, just a strawberry farm." She explained getting frustrated.

"So… you are a year rounder?" I asked.

Annabeth nodded. From under the collar of her T shirt she pulled a leather necklace with five clay beads of different colors. It was just like Luke's, except Annabeth's also had a big gold ring strung on it, like a college ring.

"I have been here since I was seven," she said. "Every August, on the last day of summer session, you get a bead for surviving another year. I have been here longer than most of the counselors, and they are all in college."

"Why did you come so young?" I asked half curious and half concerned.

She twisted the ring on her necklace and snapped "That is none of your business!"

"Oh." I stood there for a minute in uncomfortable silence. "So… I could just walk out of here right now if I wanted to?"

"It would be suicide, but you could, with Mr. D's or Chiron's permission. But they would not give permission until the end of the summer session unless…"

"Unless?" I asked

"You were granted a quest. But that hardly ever happens. The last time..."

Her voice trailed off. I could tell from her tone that the last time had not gone well.

I changed the subject "Back in the sick room," I said, "when you were feeding me that stuff-"

"Ambrosia." She filled in my unspoken question.

"Yeah that. You asked me something about the summer solstice."

Annabeth's shoulders tensed. "So you _do_ know something?"

"Well… no. Back at my old school, I overheard Grover and Chiron talking about it. Grover mentioned the summer solstice. He said something like we did not have much time, because of the deadline. What did that mean?" I asked.

She clenched her fists. "I wish I knew. Chiron and the satyrs, they know, but they will not tell me. Something is wrong in Olympus, something pretty major. Last time I was there, everything seemed so _normal."_

" Wait, you have been to Olympus?" I asked.

"Some of us year rounders like; Luke and Clarisse and I and a few others, we took a field trip during winter solstice. That is when the gods have their big annual council."

I asked "But… how did you get there?"

"The Long Island Railroad, of course. You get off at Penn Station. Empire State Building, special elevator to the six-hundredth floor." She looked at me like she was sure I must know this already.

"You _are_ a New Yorker, right?" She asked.

"Oh, sure." As far as I knew, there were only a hundred and two floors in the Empire State Building, but I decided not to point that out.

"Right after we visited," Annabeth continued, "the weather got weird, as if the gods had started fighting. A couple of times since, I have overheard satyrs talking. The best I can figure out is that something important was stolen. And if it is not returned by summer solstice, there is going to be trouble. When you came, I was hoping… I mean – Athena can get along with just about anybody, except for Ares. And of course she's got the rivalry with Poseidon. But, I mean, aside from that, I thought we could work together. I thought you might know something."

I shook my head. I wished I could help her, but I felt too hungry and tired and mentally overloaded to ask any more questions.

"I have to get a quest," Annabeth muttered to herself. "I am _not_ too young. If they would just tell me the problem…"

I could smell barbecue smoke coming from somewhere nearby. Annabeth must have heard my stomach growl. She told me to go on, she would catch me later. I left her on the pier, tracing her finger across the rail as if drawing a battle plan.

Back at cabin eleven, everybody was talking and horsing around, waiting for dinner. For the first time, I noticed that a lot of the campers had similar features: sharp noses, upturned eyebrows, mischievous smiles.

They were the kind of kids that teachers would peg as troublemakers. Thankfully, nobody paid much attention to me as I walked over to my spot on the floor and plopped down with my Minotaur horn.

The counselor, Luke, came over. He had the Hermes family resemblance, too. It was marred by that scar on his right cheek, but his smile was intact.

"Found you a sleeping bag," he said. "And here, I stole you some toiletries from the camp store."

I could not tell if he was kidding about the stealing part, but I still said, "Thanks."

"No prob." Luke sat next to me, pushed his back against the wall. "Tough first day?"

"I do not belong here," I said. "I do not even believe in gods!"

"Yeah," he said. "That is how we all started. Once you start believing in them? It does not get any easier." He said bitterly.

The bitterness in his voice surprised me, because Luke seemed like a pretty easygoing guy. He looked like he could handle just about anything.

"So your dad is Hermes?" I asked.

He pulled a switchblade out of his back pocket, and for a second I thought he was going to gut me, but he just scraped the mud off the sole of his sandal. "Yeah. Hermes."

I asked "As in the wing-footed messenger guy?"

"That is him; Messengers, Medicine, Travellers, merchants, thieves. Anybody who uses the roads. That is why you're here, enjoying cabin eleven's hospitality. Hermes isn't picky about who he sponsors."

I figured Luke did not mean to call me a nobody. He just had a lot on his mind.

"Have you ever meet your dad?' I asked.

"Once." He replied

I waited, thinking that if he wanted to tell me, he would tell me. Apparently, he did not say anything more. I wondered if the story had anything to do with how he got his scar.

Luke looked up and managed a smile. "Do not worry about it, Percy. The campers here, they are mostly good people. After all, we are all extended family, right? We take care of each other."

He seemed to understand how lost I felt, and I was grateful for that, because an older guy like him even if he was a counselor should have steered clear of an uncool middle schooler like me. But Luke had welcomed me into the cabin. He had even stolen me some toiletries, which was the nicest thing anybody had done for me all day.

I decided to ask him my last big question, the one that had been bothering me all afternoon. "Clarisse, from Ares, was joking about me being 'Big Three' material. Then Annabeth… twice, she said I might be 'the one'. She said I should talk to the Oracle. What was that all about?"

Luke folded his knife and muttered "I hate prophecies."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

His face twitched around the scar. "Let's just say I messed things up for everybody else. The last

two years, ever since my trip to the Garden of the Hesperides went sour, Chiron has not allowed any more quests. Annabeth has been dying to get out into the world. She pestered Chiron so much he finally told her he already knew her fate. He had had a prophecy from the Oracle. He would not tell her the whole thing, but he said Annabeth was not destined to go on a quest yet. She had to wait until… somebody special came to the camp."

I echoed him "Somebody special?"

"Don't worry about it, kid," Luke said. "Annabeth wants to think every new camper who comes through here is the omen she's been waiting for. Now, come on, it is dinnertime."

The moment he said it, a horn blew in the distance. Somehow, I knew it was a conch shell, even though I had never heard one before.

Luke yelled, "Eleven, fall in!"

The whole cabin, about twenty of us, filed into the commons yard. We lined up in order of seniority, so of course I was dead last. Campers came from the other cabins, too, except for the three empty cabins at the end, and cabin eight, which had looked normal in the daytime, but was now starting to glow silver as the sun went down.

We marched up the hill to the mess hall pavilion. Satyrs joined us from the meadow. Naiads emerged from the canoeing lake. A few other girls came out of the woods and when I say out of the woods, I mean _straight_ out of the woods. I saw one girl, about nine or ten years old, melt from the side of a maple tree and come skipping up the hill.

In all, there were maybe a hundred campers, a few dozen satyrs, and a dozen assorted wood nymphs and naiads. At the pavilion, torches blazed around the marble columns. A central fire burned in a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each cabin had its own table, covered in white cloth trimmed in purple.

Four of the tables were empty, but cabin eleven's was way overcrowded. I had to squeeze on to the edge of a bench with half my butt hanging off.

I saw Grover sitting at table twelve with Mr. D, a few satyrs and a couple of plump blond boys who looked just like Mr. D. Chiron stood to one side, the picnic table being way too small for a centaur.

Annabeth sat at table six with a bunch of serious-looking athletic kids, all with her grey eyes and honey blonde hair.

Clarisse sat behind me at Ares's table. She had apparently gotten over being hosed down, because she was laughing and belching right alongside her friends.

Finally, Chiron pounded his hoof against the marble floor of the pavilion, and everybody fell silent. He raised a glass. "To the gods!"

Everybody else raised their glasses and echoed him "To the gods!"

Wood nymphs came forward with platters of food: grapes, apples, strawberries, cheese, fresh bread and yes, barbecue! My glass was empty, but Luke said, "Speak to it. Whatever you want nonalcoholic, of course."

I said, "Cherry Coke."

The glass filled with sparkling caramel liquid.  
Then I had an idea. " _Blue_ Cherry Coke."

The soda turned a violent shade of cobalt. I took a cautious sip. Perfect. I drank a toast to my mother.

She is not gone, I told myself. Not permanently, anyway. She is in the Underworld. And if that is a real place, then some day…

"Here you go, Percy," Luke said, handing me a platter of smoked brisket.

I loaded my plate and was about to take a big bite when I noticed everybody getting up, carrying their plates towards the fire in the centre of the pavilion. I wondered if they were going for dessert or something.

"Come on." Luke told me.

As I got closer, I saw that everyone was taking a portion of their meal and dropping it into the fire, the ripest strawberry, the juiciest slice of beef, the warmest, most buttery roll.

Luke murmured in my ear, "Burnt offerings for the gods. They like the smell."

"'You are kidding." I thought for real he was at the time.

His look warned me not to take this lightly, but I could not help wondering why an immortal, all powerful being would like the smell of burning food.

Luke approached the fire, bowed his head, and tossed in a cluster of fat red grapes. "Hermes."

I was next. I wished I knew what god's name to say. Finally, I made a silent plea. ' _Whoever you are, tell me. Please!'_

I scraped a big slice of brisket into the flames. When I caught a whiff of the smoke, I did not gag.

It smelled nothing like burning food. It smelled of hot chocolate and fresh baked brownies, hamburgers on the grill and wildflowers, and a hundred other good things that shouldn't have gone well together, but it did. I could almost believe the gods could live off that smoke.

When everybody had returned to their seats and finished eating their meals, Chiron pounded his hoof again for our attention.

Mr. D got up with a huge sigh. "Yes, I suppose I had better say hello to all you brats. Well, hello. Our activities director, Chiron, says the next capture the flag is Friday. Cabin five presently holds the laurels."

A bunch of ugly cheering rose from the Ares table.

"Personally," Mr. D continued, "I could not have cared less, but congratulations. Also, I should tell you that we have a new camper today. Peter Johnson."

Peter stepped out of the shadows on the far side of the building and cleared his throat, the air grew chilly as he said "Wrong name wine god!" He took a step back and he dissolved into the shadows leaving everyone speechless.

Chiron murmured something.

"Er, Percy Jackson," Mr. D corrected as if nothing had happened at all. "That's right. Hurrah, and all that. Now run along to your silly campfire. Go on."

Everybody cheered, but me I was still confused and where did Peter go and where did he come from?

We all headed down towards the amphitheatre, where Apollo's cabin led a

Sing along. We sang camp songs about the gods and ate toasted marshmallows and joked around, and the funny thing was, I did not feel that anyone was staring at me anymore. I felt that I was home.

Later in the evening, when the sparks from the campfire were curling into a starry sky, the conch horn blew again, and we all filed back to our cabins. I did not realize how exhausted I was until I collapsed on my borrowed sleeping bag.

My fingers curled around the Minotaur horn. I thought about my mom, but I had good thoughts: her smile, the bedtime stories she would read me when I was a kid, the way she would tell me not to let the bedbugs bite. When I closed my eyes, I fell asleep instantly.

That was my first day at Camp Half Blood. I wish I had known how briefly I would get to enjoy my new home.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up from my nap. I found a note on my bedside it read:

 _If I were you, I would get back to Camp Half Blood before diner is over_

 _-A_

I had no clue who "A" was, but I knew whoever wrote it was powerful, there was an air of authority on the letter that told me I had best get to going.

I put on my long sleeved black polyester shirt, I wrapped my chain around myself again, this time make an "X" I wrapped the chain from my over my left shoulder, to my right armpit, then back up to the left, where I went down the other way and I looped around so it made an "X" on my front and back my side. I then put my trench coat on; I pulled on my spiked gloves. I shut my eye trying to remember the camp; I felt the shadows coming towards me.

I opened my eyes and I was leaning against the wall where the food was being severed. Since I just ate I chose to just stand in the shadow and watch. People began to come; I just stood there as I became one with the shadows.

I listened into their conversation, there were many.

I saw Mr. D speak up and say "Peter Jonson" or something like that. I chose then to make my presence known, my temper got the best of me when I said coldly as I stepped out of the shadows "Wrong name wine god!" I had enough sense not to insult him like I wanted, like "wine brain" or "grape bread" maybe "Captain Drunk". Once I said that, I took a step back and shadow traveled to Cabin Eleven.

I chuckled amused; I wonder how long it will take for them to figure out what happened.

I sighed as I began to make a few tweaks to the watches; I had one on each on, plus one inside each of my breast trench coat pocket. In short, I had the total of four watches; I had them modified to fit the purpose I required of them. What is its purpose? Well we will found out in time… I myself did not know what I was doing; my instincts took over when I began to design them.

A few hours later a felt people on the porch, I wanted to ignored them but I had a feeling that it would be best not to have people seeing my watches . So I as I hid my watches they came in the first one who came in was Luke. He did not have time to say anything because the kids behind him pushed him into the cabin; the last person I saw was Percy. He was too tired, so I left him be.

I saw most of them were already asleep. I gave a sigh.

Luke walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder he mouthed "Come with me"

I gave him a nod. He led us to the porch. From there he shut the door and asked "Where have you been for the last day and a half?"

I snorted and said "Why should I tell you? What I do is of no concern to you."

Luke sighed and said "As cabin councilor, it IS my business to know _**what**_ the people in my cabin are doing; it is my job to know _**WHO**_ they are."

I growled and said "I can be your worst enemy Luke, do not push me." I felt a burning sensation in each of my forearms; I felt something that almost felt like bone rubbing against bone. I took a few calming breathes and the pain and the movement stopped.

Luke said "Look, I am trying to look out for you."

"Then do yourself a favor, stop it. I took care of myself this far. I can stand alone, on my own two feet!" I said getting angry. The shadows agreed with me as they became darker, the night sky grew dimmer, the stars flashed angrily.

Luke either did not pay attention to the sky, or he was not concerned. He placed a hand on my arm and said "We are all family here…"

I snarled and I shook off his arm and said "My family died when my sister was murdered by a Manticore!" Was ready to strangle Luke with my bare hands, my temper was getting the better of my. I chuckled darkly and said "Luke, I prefer being in the dark, cold and alone. Darkness and the cold goes great together."

Luke said "Peter how do you feel about the go-"

I growled and said "It is not unknown that I openly resent most them. My mother was murdered by my step father and she herself was a demigod, who a god fell in love with. My sister was killed by the Manticore during a lightning storm next to the sea! I hold hardly any love towards anyone, let alone _them_!"

Luke smirked and said "You are not the only one who hates them Peter. You are not alone."

I growled I felt a sharp pain in my stomach. I knew this guy was a large threat against me, or will be. I said "Trust me, I know there are others who hate _them_ even more than I do. I take it you are one of them?"

Luke smirk grew even wider when he said "You are smarter than you look, no offence, you could be a powerful ally."

I chuckled and said "I would rather not die in a bloody war."

Luke frowned and asked "What are you talking about?"

I grew bored and said "Just know, I may lack skill, but I adapt and learn real quick. I hold grudges; it is one of my fatal flaws." I was done talking; I disappeared in the darkness around me. Leave Luke confused.

I found myself in the woods again, but this time I was alone, I walked out of the woods. I heard the sound of beating wings. I quickly darted towards the water. I thought it would have taken me five minutes, but I ran there in about a minute. I drove in trench coat, military boats and all.

I sank to the very bottom of the lake. I took some time to take a few deep breathes of relief. I was safe in the water, my element (well one of them).

I realized that there were like a dozen nymphs in the lake around, at least they did not look angry, just confused and curious.

One of them asked "Who are you? And what are you doing here this time of night?"

I cleared my throat and said "My name is Peter Perseus. I came here because I heard a harpy coming my way. I apologize if I woke you up."

The nymph waved her and in a dismissive matter and said "We were awake any. We heard about you."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously and asked "What did you hear exactly?"

The nymph said "The most recent is that you saved a girl named Brook, using some chains."

I blushed and said "Yeah… That was me…."

The nymph smiled and said "You did a good job!"

I asked "How did you know?"

The nymph said "Would travels fast about Artemis, by the way, coagulations on meeting Artemis and leaving in one piece."

I gave a nod. After a few seconds of silence I asked nervously "Could I spent the night here?"

The nymph smiled and she began to speak with the others. A few minutes later she turned back to me and said with a smile "We will be glad to have you!"

I smiled and said "Thank you!" My voice was full of gratefulness. I gave them a slight bow.

Some of them giggled at that.

My eyes grew heavy as unconsciousness began to take over and I fell into a deep slumber.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy Point of View)**

The next few days I settled into a routine that felt almost normal, if you do not count the fact that I was getting lessons from satyrs, nymphs and a centaur.

Each morning I took Ancient Greek from Annabeth, and we talked about the gods and goddesses in the present tense, which was kind of weird. I discovered Annabeth was right about my dyslexia: Ancient Greek was not that hard for me to read (at least, no harder than English).

After a couple of mornings, I could stumble through a few lines of Homer without too much headache. The rest of the day, I would rotate through outdoor activities, looking for something I was good at.

Chiron tried to teach me archery, but we found out pretty quick I was not any good with a bow and arrow. He did not complain, even when he had to pull a stray arrow out of his tail. Then Peter was gifted when it come to the bow, me? I nearly hit him in the face when he was ten yard behind me facing away! I was cursed I swear! Peter made me promise never to touch a bow and arrow again especially in emergencies!

Foot racing? No good either. The wood nymph instructors left me in the dust. They told me not to worry about it. They had centuries of practice running away from lovesick gods. But still, it was a little humiliating to be slower than a tree. Once again Peter was ahead of me, well everyone, he outran the some of the nymphs!

And wrestling? Forget it. Every time I got on the mat, Clarisse would pulverize me. Peter? I have no clue where he was, I thought he might have been taking a nap in the corner's shadow, but it is hard to see him.

"There is more where that came from, punk!" she would mumble in my ear.

The only thing I really excelled at was canoeing, and that was not the kind of heroic skill people expected to see from the kid who had beaten the Minotaur. I knew the senior campers and counselors were watching me, trying to decide who my dad was, but they were not having an easy time of it.

I was not as strong as the Ares kids, or as good at archery as the Apollo kids (Hades! I could not even shoot straight!).

I did not have Hephaestus's skill with metalwork or (gods forbid) Dionysus's way with vine plants.

Luke told me I might be a child of Hermes, a kind of jack of all trades, master of none. But I got the feeling he was just trying to make me feel better. He really did not know what to make of me either.

Despite all that, I liked camp. I got used to the morning fog over the beach, the smell of hot strawberry fields in the afternoon, even the weird noises of monsters in the woods at night.

I would eat dinner with cabin eleven, scrape part of my meal into the fire, and try to feel some connection to my real dad. Nothing came. Just that warm feeling I had always had, like the memory of his smile.

I tried not to think too much about my mom, but I kept wondering: if gods and monsters were real, if all this magical stuff was possible, surely there was some way to save her, to bring her back…

I started to understand Luke's bitterness and how he seemed to resent his father, Hermes. So okay, maybe gods had important things to do. But could they not call once in a while, or thunder, or something? Dionysus could make Diet Coke appear out of thin air. Why could not my dad, whoever he was, make a phone appear?

Thursday afternoon, three days after I had arrived at Camp Half-Blood, I had my first sword-fighting lesson. Everybody from cabin eleven gathered in the big circular arena, where Luke would be our instructor.

We started with basic stabbing and slashing, using some straw-stuffed dummies in Greek armour. I guess I did okay. At least, I understood what I was supposed to do and my reflexes were good.

The problem was, I could not find a blade that felt right in my hands. Either they were too heavy, or too light, or too long. Luke tried his best to fix me up, but he agreed that none of the practice blades seemed to work for me.

We moved on to dueling in pairs. Luke announced he would be my partner, since this was my first time.

"Good luck," one of the campers told me. "Luke is the best swordsman in the last three hundred years."

"Maybe he will go easy on me?" I said.

The camper snorted.

Luke showed me thrusts and parries and shield blocks the hard way. With every swipe, I got a little more battered and bruised. "Keep your guard up, Percy," he would say, then whap me in the ribs with the flat of his blade. "No, not that far up!"

 _Whap!_

"Lunge!"

 _Whap!_

"Now, back!"

 _Whap!_

By the time he called a break, I was soaked in sweat. Everybody swarmed the drinks cooler. Luke poured ice water on his head, which looked like such a good idea, I did the same.

Instantly, I felt better. Strength surged back into my arms. The sword did not feel so awkward.

"Okay, everybody circle up!" Luke ordered. "If Percy does not mind, I want to give you a little demo."

Great, I thought. ' _Let's all watch Percy get pounded_.'

The Hermes guys gathered around. They were suppressing smiles. I figured they had been in my shoes before and could not wait to see how Luke used me for a punching bag. He told everybody he was going to demonstrate a disarming technique: how to twist the enemy's blade with the flat of your own sword so that he had no choice but to drop his weapon.

"This is difficult," he stressed. "I have had it used against me. No laughing at Percy, now. Most swordsmen have to work years to master this technique."

He demonstrated the move on me in slow motion. Sure enough, the sword clattered out of my hand.

"Now in real time." he said, after I had retrieved my weapon. "We keep sparring until one of us pulls it off. Ready, Percy?"

I nodded, and Luke came after me. Somehow, I kept him from getting a shot at the hilt of my sword.

My senses opened up. I saw his attacks coming. I countered. I stepped forward and tried a thrust of my own. Luke deflected it easily, but I saw a change in his face. His eyes narrowed, and he started to press me with more force.

The sword grew heavy in my hand. The balance was not right for me. I knew it was only a matter of seconds before Luke took me down, so I figured, what the heck?

I tried the disarming maneuver.

My blade hit the base of Luke's and I twisted, putting my whole weight into a downward thrust.

 _Clang._

Luke's sword rattled against the stones. The tip of my blade was a couple of centimeters from his undefended chest.

The other campers were silent.

I lowered my sword. "Um, sorry."

For a moment, Luke was too stunned to speak.

"Sorry?" His scarred face broke into a grin. "By the gods, Percy, why are you sorry? Show me that again!"

I did not want to. The short burst of manic energy had completely abandoned me. But Luke insisted.

This time, there was no contest. The moment our swords connected, Luke hit my hilt and sent my weapon skidding across the floor.

After a long pause, somebody in the audience said, "Beginner's luck?"

Luke wiped the sweat off his brow. He appraised me with an entirely new interest. "Maybe," he said. "But I wonder what Percy could do with a balanced sword…."

Friday afternoon, I was sitting with Grover at the lake, resting from a near-death experience on the climbing wall. Grover had scampered to the top like a mountain goat, but the lava had almost got me.

My shirt had smoking holes in it. The hairs had been singed off my forearms.

We sat on the pier, watching the naiads do underwater basket weaving, until I got up the nerve to ask Grover how his conversation had gone with Mr. D.

His face turned a sickly shade of yellow. "Fine," he said. "Just great."

I asked "So is your career is still on track?"

He glanced at me nervously."'Chiron t - told you I want a searcher's license?"

"Well… no." I had no idea what a searcher's license was, but it did not seem like the right time to ask. "He just said you had big plans, you know… and that you needed credit for completing a keeper's assignment. So did you get it?"

Grover looked down at the naiads. "Mr. D suspended judgment. He said I had not failed nor did I succeeded with you yet, so our fates were still tied together. If you got a quest and I went along to protect you, and we both came back alive, then maybe he would consider the job complete."

My spirits lifted. "Well, that is not so bad, right?"

"Blaa – ha - ha! He might as well have transferred me to stable-cleaning duty. The chances of you getting a quest… and even if you did, why would you want _me_ along?"

"Of course I would want you along!" I exclaimed looking t one of my best friends in the eyes.

Grover stared glumly into the water. "Basket weaving… Must be nice to have a useful skill."

I tried to reassure him that he had lots of talents, but that just made him look more miserable. We talked about canoeing and swordplay for a while, then debated the pros and cons of the different gods. Finally, I asked him about the four empty cabins.

"Number eight, the silver one, belongs to Artemis," he said. "She vowed to be a maiden forever until 'The One' came. So of course, no kids. The cabin is, you know, honorary. If she did not have one, she would be mad."

"Yeah, okay. But the other three, the ones at the end. Are those the Big Three?" I asked slightly excited.

Grover tensed. We were getting close to a touchy subject. "No. One of them, number two, is Hera's," he said. "That is another honorary thing. She is the goddess of marriage, so of course she would not go around having affairs with mortals. That is her husband's job. When we say the Big

Three, we mean the three powerful brothers, the sons of Kronos."

"Zeus, Poseidon, Hades." I relied remembering them from my Latin class with Mr. Brunner.

"Right. You know. After the great battle with the Titans, they took over the world from their dad and drew lots to decide who got what." Grover explained.

"Zeus got the sky," I remembered. "Poseidon got the sea, and Hades got the Underworld."

"Yup." Grover said.

"But Hades doesn't have a cabin here. Was he not an Olympian?" I asked.

"No. He does not have a throne on Olympus, either. He sort of does his own thing down in the Underworld. If he did have a cabin here…" Grover shuddered. "Well, it would not be pleasant. Let's leave it at that."

"But Zeus and Poseidon – they both had, like, a bazillion kids in the myths. Why are their cabins empty?"

Grover shifted his hooves uncomfortably. "About sixty years ago, after World War II, the Big Three agreed they would not sire any more heroes. Their children were just too powerful. They were affecting the course of human events too much, causing too much carnage. World War II, you know, that was basically a fight between the sons of Zeus and Poseidon on one side, and the sons of Hades on the other. The winning side, Zeus and Poseidon, made Hades swear an oath with them: no more affairs with mortal women. They all swore on the River Styx."

Thunder boomed.

I said, "That is the most serious oath you can make!"

Grover nodded.

"And the brothers kept their word – no kids right?"

Grover's face darkened. "Seventeen years ago, Zeus fell off the wagon. There was this TV starlet with a big fluffy eighties hairdo – he just could not help himself. When their child was born, a little girl named Thalia… well, the River Styx is serious about promises. Zeus himself got off easy because he is immortal, but he brought a terrible fate on his daughter."

"But that is not fair! It was not the little girl's fault!" I nearly shouted, my anger getting the better of me.

Grover hesitated. "Percy, children of the Big Three have powers greater than other half-bloods. They have a strong aura, a scent that attracts monsters. When Hades found out about the girl, he was not too happy about Zeus breaking his oath. Hades let the worst monsters out of Tartarus to torment Thalia. A satyr was assigned to be her keeper when she was twelve, but there was nothing he could do. He tried to escort her here with a couple of other half-bloods she had befriended. They almost made it. They got all the way to the top of that hill."

He pointed across the valley, to the pine tree where I had fought the Minotaur. "All three Kindly Ones were after them, along with a hoard of hellhounds. They were about to be overrun when Thalia told her satyr to take the other two half-bloods to safety while she held off the monsters. She was wounded and tired, and she did not want to live like a hunted animal. The satyr did not want to leave her, but he could not change her mind, and he had to protect the others. So Thalia made her final stand alone, at the top of that hill. As she died, Zeus took pity on her. He turned her into that pine tree. Her spirit still helps protect the borders of the valley. That is why the hill is called Half Blood Hill."

I stared at the pine in the distance.

The story made me feel hollow, and guilty, too. A girl my age had sacrificed herself to save her friends. She had faced a whole army of monsters. Next to that, my victory over the Minotaur did not seem like much. I wondered, if I would have acted differently, could I have saved my mother?

"Grover," I said, "have heroes really gone on quests to the Underworld?"

"Sometimes," he said. "Orpheus, Hercules, Houdini."

I asked "And have they ever returned somebody from the dead?"

"No. Never. Orpheus came close…. Percy, you are not seriously thinking-"

"No," I lied. "I was just wondering. So… a satyr is always assigned to guard a demigod?"

Grover studied me warily. I had not persuaded him that I had really dropped the Underworld idea.

"Not always. We go undercover to a lot of schools. We try to sniff out the half bloods who have the makings of great heroes. If we find one with a very strong aura, like a child of the Big Three, we alert Chiron. He tries to keep an eye on them, since they could cause really huge problems."

"And you found me. Chiron said you thought I might be something special." I said, not very pleases with myself.

Grover looked as if I had just led him into a trap. "I did not… Oh, listen, do not think like that. If you _were_ – you know – you would never _ever_ be allowed a quest, and I would never get my license. You are probably a child of Hermes. Or maybe even one of the minor gods, like Nemesis, the god of revenge. So do not worry, okay?"

I got the idea he was reassuring himself more than me. That night after dinner, there was a lot more excitement than usual.

At last, it was time for capture the flag.

When the plates were cleared away, the conch horn sounded and we all stood at our tables.

Campers yelled and cheered as Annabeth and two of her siblings ran into the pavilion carrying a silk banner. It was about three meters long, glistening grey, with a painting of a barn owl above an olive tree.

From the opposite side of the pavilion, Clarisse and her buddies ran in with another banner, of identical size, but gaudy red, painted with a bloody spear and a boar's head.

I turned to Luke and yelled over the noise, "Those are the flags?"

"Yeah." He shouted back.

" Does Ares and Athena always lead the teams?" I asked.

"Not always," he said. "But often enough."

"So, if another cabin captures one, what do you do – repaint the flag?" I asked.

He grinned. "You will see. First we have to get one!"

"Whose side are we on?" I asked.

He gave me a sly look, as if he knew something I did not. The scar on his face made him look almost evil in the torchlight. "We have made a temporary alliance with Athena. Tonight, we get the flag from Ares. And _you_ are going to help."

The teams were announced. Athena had made an alliance with Apollo and Hermes, the two biggest cabins.

Apparently, privileges had been traded – shower times, chore schedules, the best slots for activities in order to win support.

Ares had allied themselves with everybody else: Dionysus, Demeter, Aphrodite and Hephaestus.

From what I had seen, Dionysus's kids were actually good athletes, but there were only two of them.

Demeter's kids had the edge with nature skills and outdoor stuff, but they were not very aggressive.

Aphrodite's sons and daughters I was not too worried about. They mostly sat out every activity and checked their reflections in the lake and did their hair and gossiped.

Hephaestus's kids were not very pretty, and there were only four of them, but they were big and burly from working in the metal shop all day. They might be a problem.

That, of course, left Ares's cabin: a dozen of the biggest, ugliest, meanest kids on Long Island, or anywhere else on the planet.

Chiron hammered his hoof on the marble. "Heroes!" he announced. "You know the rules. The creek is the boundary line. The entire forest is fair game. All magic items are allowed. The banner must be prominently displayed, and have no more than two guards. Prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged. No killing or maiming is allowed. I will serve as referee and battlefield medic. Arm yourselves!"

He spread his hands, and the tables were suddenly covered with equipment: helmets, bronze swords, spears, ox - hide shields coated in metal.

"Whoa," I said. "We are really supposed to use these?!"

Luke looked at me as if I were crazy. "Unless you want to get skewered by your friends in cabin five. Here Chiron thought these would fit. You will be on border patrol."

My shield was the size of an NBA backboard, with a big caduceus in the middle. It weighed about a million pounds. I could have snowboarded on it fine, but I hoped nobody seriously expected me to run fast. My helmet, like all the helmets on Athena's side, had a blue horsehair plume on top. Ares and their allies had red plumes.

Annabeth yelled, "Blue team, forward!"

We cheered and shook our swords and followed her down the path to the south woods.

The red team yelled taunts at us as they headed off towards the north.

I managed to catch up with Annabeth without tripping over my equipment.

"Hey." I called out to her.

She kept marching.

"So what is the plan?" I asked. "Got any magic items you can loan me?"

Her hand drifted towards her pocket, as if she were afraid I would steal something. "Just watch Clarisse's spear," she said. "You do not want that thing touching you. Otherwise, do not worry. We will take the banner from Ares. Has Luke given you your job?"

"Border patrol, whatever that means." I said with a shrug.

"It is easy. Stand by the creek, keep the reds away. Leave the rest to me. Athena always has a plan." She said with pride.

She pushed ahead, leaving me in the dust.

"Okay," I mumbled. "Glad you wanted me on your team."

It was a warm, sticky night. The woods were dark, with fireflies popping in and out of view.

Annabeth stationed me next to a little creek that gurgled over some rocks, then she and the rest of the team scattered into the trees.

Standing there alone, with my big blue-feathered helmet and my huge shield, I felt like an idiot. The bronze sword, like all the swords I had tried so far, seemed balanced wrong. The leather grip pulled on my hand like a bowling ball.

There was no way anybody would actually attack me, would they? I mean, Olympus had to have liability issues, right?

Far away, the conch horn blew. I heard whoops and yells in the woods, the clanking of metal, kids fighting. A blue plumed ally from Apollo raced past me like a deer, leaped through the creek and disappeared into enemy territory.

Great, I thought. I will miss all the fun, as usual.

Then I heard a sound that sent a chill up my spine, a low canine growl, somewhere close by.

I raised my shield instinctively; I had the feeling something was stalking me.

Then the growling stopped. I felt the presence retreating.

On the other side of the creek, the underbrush exploded. Five Ares warriors came yelling and screaming out of the dark.

"Cream the punk!" Clarisse screamed.

Her ugly pig eyes glared through the slits of her helmet. She brandished a two meter spear, its barbed metal tip flickering with red light. Her siblings had only the standard issue bronze swords not that that made me feel any better.

They charged across the stream. There was no help in sight. I could run. Or I could defend myself against half the Ares cabin.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up on the lake bed in a bed in the lake. No joking, it was a bed made up of kelp and seaweed.

I sat up in bed and stretched, I felt most of my energy restored. The water not only heals me, but it also replenishes my energy, at least some of it.

I saw a few nymphs still sleeping. I reached into my trench coat and placed a sand dollar on the pillow I was using, I just knew that, that it would mean something to them, I also placed a few Drachma on the pillow as will, I vapor traveled out of the lake and into the fog onto the beach.

The sun was just beginning to rise, the sky was pink and purple. The birds had yet to begin to sing.

I shut my eyes and took in the fresh, clean, morning air. I smiled before I broke into a quick paced jog, I ran into the woods.

I saw a few tree spirits and they looked slightly stunned to see me. I mean I guess I would be too, a kid wakes up with the sunrise, running in the woods in a black trench coat and in military boot, yet hardly making a sound.

As I ran I saw ghostly images flash, I knew it was in my mind, but it seemed so real. I saw myself running beside Artemis and a girl who could look like a Persian Princess. They both had silver bows, but I somehow I knew the one Artemis is using I made, a very, very long time ago, yet it look good as new.

I looked behind me, and then I ran into a hard oak tree. I hit it and fell flat on my back at least that was a regular oak tree! I laid on my back trying to remember, but I could not, it was like a dream. By the afternoon you cannot remember the dream.

I sat up and jogged back to the dining area.

Several minutes later I was there, I sat down cross legged in the shadows. I began to pull out my modified watches and I began to play with them.

A few minutes later a conch shell sounded and people began to swarm in, I chose to sit next to Percy.

Percy and I stayed close, but at the same time I stayed isolated.

I ran in the woods with him, but he ended up near dead last, while I lead the pack.

During archery, let's say Percy should never, EVER, touch a bow and arrow! He shot Chiron in the tale, when he was behind him. He nearly shot me in the face! If it was not for the tingling in the back of my head and the time slowing down, it would have stuck me in the eye! I made him promise never to use a bow and arrow until we figure out _**WHY**_ he was so bad! If I remember correctly Apollo cursed all sons of Poseidon after Orion. Why could I shoot? I do not know, but I could.

I did not look like an Apollo kid, but my archery skill was very good.

Metal working? Percy had not much luck in that. Me? Once again I was gifted, though Percy did have fire resistance, but he lacked the skill. I did not look like a Hephaestus's kid either, but I had both heat resistance and skill in the forge. I did become good acquaintances with Charles Beckendorf. Head consoler of the Cabin Nine; Hephaestus's Cabin.

Though Percy did accel at canoeing and other water sports, I did as well, but I let him have the victories in that. I could not help but to laugh to myself, I mean Percy looks almost exactly like a baby Poseidon! A younger clone!

Wrestling with Ares' cabin? I skipped that, I would much rather not fight unless I have to. I know it seems weird that me, who killed a couple of men, not wanting to fight. I do not feel any remorse, I felt as though they deserved it. Though I did watch Percy become the punching bag of Clarisse. I would have stepped in, but Percy needed to learn how to fight back, he needed to learn how to take a beating and then get up for more. Though I did made sure she did not get too rough with him. Where was I? I was in the corner relaxing in the shadows, watching them and sometimes taking a nap.

Percy and Grover would weave baskets. I would leave the two of them alone when they did that. I would be in the forges working with Beckendorf. I modified the chains so they were Titanium, Silver, Imperial Gold, and Celestial Bronze. We put an enchantment on it so that it could never be broken and so that, it could grow to an infinite amount. It would also turn into either a gold chain necklace or a silver chain necklace.

Beckendorf agreed not to say a word about the chain to anyone. He was actually somewhat excited about working with something new, but he was hard to read. Because I knew the hard work it was I made sure to pay Beckendorf a handsome amount of Drachma and a good weight in Celestial Bronze.

Beckendorf said I could use the forge anytime I would like, and if I need a hand he would be willing to help.

I avoided Aphrodite's cabin. Though one of them seemed to be different from the others; Silena Beauregard. I could tell Silena and Beckendorf liked each other; it was amusing to see Beckendorf so flustered, just like his father! I helped them out a little. Percy and I got into a routine; we began to enjoy it, until Thursday night and Friday… Thursday night I was in a bitter mood, so I avoided the woods and the lake. So I went to the campfire area, also known as the hearth.

The fire low, when I got there. My very presence seemed to make the flames die; darkness surrounded me in a suffocating fog. I glared at the fire and it seemed to turn into a smolder with only red hot embers giving off a faint red glow. I was control my powers, storms, water, lightning.

However darkness and the cold were the things that I could not control.

My sixth sensed went off, I flipped off the log pulled out my silver knife and held it in a defensive position.

A girl looking no older than maybe nine years old appeared in the flames. I recognized her immediately as Hestia.

I put the knife back into my boot as I gave her a half hearted bow. I sat back on the log, I could feel the darkness surrounding me, and I could see the grass dying around me. I saw my breath in the cold air that surrounded me.

Hestia sat on the log next to me. She placed a hand on my shoulder.

I shrugged it off with a growl.

A flash of light happened in the corner of my eye, I refused to look. I felt a pair of arms wrap me up in a warm hug. Hestia had shifted into her older form; she was about twenty four years old.

I tried being respectful, but I held resentment towards her. Why? She was the last person I saw in my house the day my mother was killed. She could have done something!

As I began to think these thought, storm clouds began to form overhead, the ocean began to churn. The fire was beginning to die again.

Hestia whispered in my ear "I am so sorry…"

I wanted to shrug her off. I wanted to be left alone. But I knew I needed something more…

Hestia she whispered "Peter…"

I gave her a nod, because I did not trust my voice. I was on the verge of tears. The very presence of Hestia reminded me of home, of my family; my sister. I can barely remember my mother.

Hestia said still whispering "I am sorry about your mother and your sister, but the Ancient Laws prevents us from interfering mortals and demigods."

I snarled and said shaking her off me "Don't give me that! If that was the case than every single demigod is illegal! Than Poseidon's temper is illegal! It affects the mortals!" If it was possible the sky darkened even more before I continued "If I had a choice, I would go back in time and let myself die. I would have stopped fighting and let myself slipped into the land of the dead…"

Hestia had tears in her eyes; she looked down in shame and said "You are right…"

I was slightly surprised, but I held my poker face, I said coldly "I have no desire to fight; I wish to be at peace…" Tears were threatening to break out.

Hestia walked over and wrapped me up in a hug once again she became rubbing my back. I began to weep, I sobbed my eyes out. I was mourning for the first time. I was weeping over my mother, I was crying over my sister. I was mourning over the innocent child that died seven years ago. The dams broke and the floodgates were open. Hestia was there the whole time, letting me cry on her shoulder, she would rub my back and whisper soothing things in my ear.

I cried until I had nothing left.

Hestia allowed me to cry on her. When I was finally done crying she simply held me.

It could have been an hour or it could have been five hours I could not tell. When I was able to speak again I whispered "Thank you…"

Hestia gave me a kind, warm smile and said "You are most welcomed Peter."

I sighed as I snuggled closer into her warm body. Hestia began to stroke my hair trying to tame my hair. A few minutes of comfortable silence happened until she spoke up and said "Peter, I would like to adopt you, I know that-"

I cut her off and said "I would be honored my lady."

Hestia said "Just Hestia."

I smiled and said "Would mom work?"

Hestia's eye held a glint in them, a spark as she said "I would love it… son…"

I gave her a bone crushing hug, if she was not a goddess.

Hestia placed a hand over my heart and began to chant in Ancient Greek, an orange glow seeped into my chest feeling me with warm and hope… hope. It feels weird after going so long without it. I felt loved again.

Hestia kissed me on the forehead and said "I will see you soon Peter…"

I think I said good night, before a mind numbing pain I felt. Images began to surge into my head.

I began to remember who and what I was.

I know who I am now.

I am the Wanderer.

I am formerly the Spider Man.

I know who and what I am, I can faintly recall Percy and his tale. I

The fire seemed to surge in height. I summoned a piece of food and through it into the fire I said "Hestia, I am beginning tp remember who I am now, you unblocked my memory." I knew she heard me.

I made a rainbow by the moon light. I threw the standard offering into the rainbow before asked for Artemis.

Artemis was eating at a table with a group d girls.

I cleared my throat and I got several holographic arrows into me. I said "I remember Artemis. I may not remember most everything, but I remember giving you an Zoe my word and telling you when I began to remember. The Wander is back my lady!"

Brooke ran to me and tried to hug the image of me, she went right through, I chuckle and said "This is an Iris Message, pretty much a hologram. With Artemis permission I will visit the Hunt soon."

The older hunters remembered me and began to smile and grin some of the newer ones frowned and looked pissed off.

Artemis smile and said "Whenever you have the time, Peter."

I said "I have a feeling something big is going to happen soon, so it will not be until a bit later."

Artemis gave a nod and said "Is it about the missing bolt?"

I chuckled and said "Yes I believe it is. I am with a true child of Poseidon."

She gave a nod before saying "Ok, there is a meeting, I have to go."

I gave her a nod and waved through the image.

After I did that, I tried to remember the rest of my story, but I am unable to. I remember the Hunt. I can remember growing up on Delos with Artemis, Apollo and their mother Leto.

I remember being Spider Man, but that part seems more like a dream, but I know it is real.

I sighed as I rubbed my temple, I had a massive headache, ' _At_ _least I know some more about my limits now_.' I thought.

I stepped into the flames and teleported.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Third Person Point of View)**

Peter fire traveled to New York City, Manhattan. When he got there he was wearing the armor he saw in the dream, except that it was just black, with no other color or marking on it.

The suit was black; it was not made from this world, he could tell that much!

Peter got the watches and he put two fingers down, he shot a stream of webbing. Peter smirked, he reached back and lowered the hood and pulled down his mask **(similar to Spider – Gwen's suit / mask with the hooded mask)**.

Peter said with a smile underneath his mask "The Spider is back!" He used his artificial, enchanted web shooters.

He began to web sling through the city, he was feeling the rush of web shooting. It has been years (more like centuries) since he last done it, but it still feels as good as it did for his first time, except without all the crashing.

Spider Man shut his eyes has he let his instincts and spider sense guide his movements. This was bringing back memories. He landed on the lightning rod of the Empire State Building, like he has done many times in his world, but the moment he touched it, he knew there was something very different about it.

He decided not to go back to the Empire State Building if you can help it, so there goes his perch!

Spider Man sensed a robbery happen down Broad Way; it was a high speed cop chase. Spider Man began to go that direction.

A few minutes later Spider Man stopped on the side of a building and waited about fifteen seconds for a speed car to zip by underneath him, he webbed the building across and gave chase.

After a few minutes of that he landed on the hood of the car.

There were two people, one of them shot a shot gun through the roof hoping to take out the guy on the roof, and Spider Man sensed this coming as he jumped to the side of a U - Haul truck.

The Spider shot some webbing in front of the car, the car hit the webbing and got stuck in it. Spider Man cut one end of the web, making them hit the ground.

Spider Man manipulated the Mist to show nothing, the car hit some loose cable wire from a construction site nearby, that wrapped up the vehicle causing it to flip.

He stepped into the shadows and disappeared.

He appeared on top of roof top. He looked down below and watched the city; this _was_ in a _former_ life _HIS_ city. But that was ages ago in another world, in another life…

Spider Man looked at the Moon with longing, he wished he could have a simple, good life; without being a superhuman, a demigod, a meta- human, a mutant. He wanted to be a standard, average human male, with a loving family and a good girl friend. Is that too much to ask? To Peter it is. Will it kill someone if he had a bit better luck?

Peter snarled as he punched a water tower that was next to him. He fist went cleanly in. The steel contain crumpled like tin foil under his strength, his suit protected him for any injury he might have caused himself. He sighed as the sky began to change color, he knew dawn approached and night was fading.

Peter chose to vapor travel to Camp Half Blood, he willed his clothes to go back to his now usual trench coat.

Today was Capture the Flag, well tonight anyway…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

WhenI got back to Camp Half Blood, I was in a worse mood than usual, I kept everyone at by with a simple look, not even Percy dared come to me when I was in this state.

I went to the forge and I releashed my stress by pounding the hammer on a piece of metal. The fire grew to match my temperament, it was raging, and the fire was blazing a red flame as I pounded mercilessly on the white hot Celestial Bronze.

In about six hours I finished a simple Xiphos. It was razor sharp, doubled edge in the shape of a leaf and the blade seemed to glow a faint light due it its metal. I put it in a completed weapon barrel.

After that I began the next blade, I made a Makhaira, it was a simple one edges straight blade. It was more or less a knife, rather than a dagger. I normally prefer double edged weapons. I made the Makhaira in about four hours.

I realized I skipped lunch and the sky was beginning to change color, so the sun was beginning to set.

I snapped my fingers and an apple appeared in my hand, I was thinking for some sort of hamburger or maybe a steak, but an apple will do for now. I began to munch on the apple as I looked at the two blades I made, they were balanced fine, both sharp, but it was not made _for_ me.

I heard the cong shell horn sound signaling dinner. I gave a sigh as I left the forge. I smelled like fire, smoke, oil, metal and sweat. In short I smelled like Hephaestus and his kids.

I sat next to Percy, but neither of us said a word to each other, other than the standard greeting.

I sighed as I knew I had maybe an hour before Capture the Flag. I pulled out my MP3 and I played a old song that I liked as I began to sing with it; **Three Day Grace** _ **:**_ _ **Pain**_

 _Pain, without love  
Pain, I can't get enough  
Pain, I like it rough  
'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

 _You're sick of feeling numb_  
 _You're not the only one_  
 _I'll take you by the hand_  
 _And I'll show you a world that you can understand_  
 _This life is filled with hurt_  
 _When happiness doesn't work_  
 _Trust me and take my hand_  
 _When the lights go out you will understand_

 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_

 _Anger and agony_  
 _Are better than misery_  
 _Trust me I've got a plan_  
 _When the lights go off you'll understand_

 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing_  
 _Rather feel pain_

 _I know (I know I know I know)_  
 _I know that you're wounded_  
 _You know (You know you know you know)_  
 _That I'm here to save you_  
 _You know (You know you know you know)_  
 _I'm always here for you_  
 _I know (I know I know I know)_  
 _That you'll thank me later_

 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Pain, without love_  
 _Pain, can't get enough_  
 _Pain, I like it rough_  
 _'Cause I'd rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Rather feel pain than nothing at all_  
 _Rather feel pain_

I must have sung a little louder than normal, because several of the campers were staring at me. I growled and turned on my heels and stormed towards the sea.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

 **(Time Skip: 30 Minutes Later)**

It was time for Capture the Flag. I overheard Percy and Luke talking about the teams.

Me? I was on my own team. I was going to work with Percy.

Percy was going to be guarding near the creek, so was I. You see I do not care what the orders or the instructions were. I was going to stay by my friend's side, at least shadow him…

I stayed in the shadows, where I sensed a few monsters, nothing much, only three Hell Hounds. I destroyed two of them before the third disappeared into a shadow. I gave a pissed off growl, I could have followed, but I will not leave my friend. My gut was telling me something was going to happen soon, so I stuck around.

A few moments later the entire Cabin of Ares came.

I saw the look on Percy's face, he thought he was going to take the whole group on his own. I let out a wolf howl that echoed through the forest. That stunned the group and caused them to look at me. I pulled out my long lost, but recently found blade; Blizzard.

I vapor traveled into the creek behind Percy and walked out of it feeling refreshed, the water clung to Blizzard like iron filings to a bar magnet.

I chuckled and said to Percy "I take the ones on the left and you the right?"

Percy gave me the look that said "You are joking right?"

I shook my head and got into a defensive position.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

They charged Peter and. I managed to sidestep the first kid's swing, but these guys were not as stupid as Minotaurs. They tried to surrounded us, but Peter broke through the circle and took on half by drawing them away from me, by insulting them and taunting.

However Clarisse had a bone to pick with me from the bathroom incident she thrusted at me with her spear.

My shield deflected the point, but I felt a painful tingling all over my body. My hair stood on end. My shield arm went numb, and the air burned.

Electricity.

Her stupid spear was electric! I wished Peter fought her!

I fell back.

Another Ares guy slammed me in the chest with the butt of his sword and I hit the dirt. They could have kicked me into jelly, but they were too busy laughing.

"Give him a haircut," Clarisse said. "Grab his hair."

I managed to get to my feet. I raised my sword, but Clarisse slammed it aside with her spear as sparks flew. Now both my arms felt numb.

"Oh, wow," Clarisse said. "I am scared of this guy. Really scared."

She seemed to have forgotten about Peter; in fact I have not seen or heard Percy and the other half of the cabin…

I tried to by me more time by saying "The flag is that way," I told her. I wanted to sound angry, but I was afraid it did not come out that way.

"Yeah," one of her siblings said. "But see, we do not care about the stupid flag. We care about a guy who made our cabin look stupid."

"You do that without my help." I reported to them. It probably was not the smartest thing to say in the situation I was in…

Two of them came at me. I backed up towards the creek, tried to raise my shield, but Clarisse was too fast. Her spear stuck me straight in the ribs. If I had not been wearing an armored breast plate, I would have been shish kebabed.

As it was, the electric point just about shocked my teeth out of my mouth. One of her cabin mates slashed his sword across my arm, leaving a good-size cut.

Seeing my own blood made me dizzy, warm and cold at the same time.

"No maiming…" I managed to say.

"Oops," the guy said. "'Guess I lost my dessert privilege."

He pushed me into the creek and I landed with a splash. They all laughed. I figured as soon as they were through being amused, I would die. But then something happened.

The water seemed to wake up my senses, as if I'd just had a bag of my mom's double-espresso jelly beans (which I have done before!)

Clarisse and her cabin mates came into the creek to get me, but I stood to meet them. I knew what to do. I swung the flat of my sword against the first guy's head and knocked his helmet clean off. I hit

him so hard I could see his eyes vibrating as he crumpled into the water.

Ugly Number Two and Ugly Number Three came at me. I slammed one in the face with my shield and used my sword to shear off the other guy's horsehair plume. Both of them backed up quick. Ugly

Number Four did not look really anxious to attack, but Clarisse kept coming, the point of her spear crackling with energy.

As soon as she thrust, I caught the shaft between the edge of my shield and my sword, and I snapped it like a twig.

"Ah!" she screamed. "You idiot! You corpse-breath worm!"

She probably would have said worse, but I smacked her between the eyes with my sword's butt end and sent her stumbling backwards out of the creek.

Then I heard yelling, elated screams, and I saw Luke racing towards the boundary line with the red team's banner lifted high. He was flanked by a couple of Hermes guys covering his retreat and a few

Apollos behind them, fighting off the Hephaestus kids.

The Ares folks got up, and Clarisse muttered a dazed curse. "A trick!" she shouted. "It was a trick."

They staggered after Luke, but it was too late. Everybody converged on the creek as Luke ran across into friendly territory. Our side exploded into cheers.

The red banner shimmered and turned to silver. The boar and spear were replaced with a huge caduceus, the symbol of cabin eleven.

Everybody on the blue team picked up Luke and started carrying him around on their shoulders.

Chiron cantered out from the woods and blew the conch horn. The game was over. We'd won. I was about to join the celebration when Annabeth's voice, right next to me in the creek, said, "Not bad, hero."

I looked, but she was not there.

"Where the heck did you learn to fight like that?" she asked. The air shimmered, and she materialized, holding a Yankees baseball cap as if she had just taken it off her head.

I felt myself getting angry. I was not even fazed by the fact that she had just been invisible. "You set me up!' I said with a growl. "You put me here because you knew Clarisse would come after me, while you sent Luke around the flank. You had it all figured out. You are Lucky Peter does not follow orders!"

Annabeth shrugged. "I told you. Athena always, always has a plan."

"A plan to get me killed!" I exclaimed.

"I came as fast as I could. I was about to jump in, but…" She shrugged. "You did not need help."

Then she noticed my wounded arm. "How did you do that?"

"Sword cut," I said. "What do you think?"

"No. It _was_ a sword cut. Look at it." She said while pointing at where the cut had been a few moments ago.

The blood was gone. Where the huge cut had been, there was a long white scratch, and even that was fading. As I watched, it turned into a small scar, and disappeared completely.

"I – I do not get it," I muttered in shock.

Annabeth was thinking hard. I could almost see the gears turning. She looked down at my feet, then at Clarisse's broken spear, and said, "Step out of the water, Percy."

"What?" I began to question her.

"Just do it.' She said getting frustrated.

I came out of the creek and immediately felt bone tired. My arms started to go numb again. My adrenalin rush left me. I almost fell over, but Annabeth steadied me.

"Oh, Styx," she cursed. "This is _not_ good. I did not want… I assumed it would be Zeus.…"

Before I could ask what she meant, I heard that canine growl again, but much closer than before. A howl ripped through the forest.

The campers' cheering died instantly. Chiron shouted something in Ancient Greek, which I would realize, only later, I had understood perfectly: _"Stand ready! My bow!"_

Annabeth drew her sword.

There on the rocks just above us was a black hound the size of a rhino, with lava-red eyes and fangs like daggers.

It was looking straight at me.

Nobody moved except Annabeth, who yelled, "Percy, run!"

She tried to step in front of me, but the hound was too fast. It leaped over her – an enormous shadow with teeth – and just as it hit me, as I stumbled backwards and felt its razor-sharp claws ripping through my armour, there was a cascade of thwacking sounds, like forty pieces of paper being ripped one after the other.

Out of nowhere the water sprung alive and it formed a hand that drug the Hell Hound into the water, where it dissolved into golden mud.

By some miracle, I was still alive. I didn't want to look underneath the ruins of my shredded armour. My chest felt warm and wet, and I knew I was badly cut. Another second, and the monster would have turned me into a hundred and ten pounds of delicatessen meat.

Chiron trotted up next to us, a bow in his hand, his face grim.

" _Di immortales,"_ Annabeth said. "That was a Hell Hound from the Fields of Punishment. They do not… they are not supposed to…"

"Someone summoned it," Chiron said. "Someone inside the camp."

Luke came over, the banner in his hand forgotten, his moment of glory gone.

Clarisse yelled, "It is all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"

"Be quiet, child," Chiron told her.

Peter stepped out of the creek and said coldly "Percy and I had nothing to do with his, daughter of War."

"You are wounded." Annabeth told me. "Quick, Percy, get in the water."

"I'm okay." I said

Peter said gruffly "Just get in the water Perse!"

I frowned I thought he was on my side!

"No, you're not," she said. "Chiron, watch this."

I was too tired to argue anymore. I stepped back into the creek, the whole camp gathering around me.

Instantly, I felt better. I could feel the cuts on my chest closing up. Some of the campers gasped.

"Look, I – I do not know why," I said, trying to apologize. "I'm sorry…"

But they were not watching my wounds heal. They were staring at something above my head.

"Percy," Annabeth said, pointing. "Um…"

By the time I looked up, the sign was already fading, but I could still make out the hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three tipped spear: a trident.

"Your father," Annabeth murmured. "This is _really_ not good."

"It is determined," Chiron announced.

All around me, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they did not look happy about it.

"My father?" I asked, completely bewildered.

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earth Shaker, Storm Bringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

Shortly after I was claimed, Peter was.

But I was very confused when he had a Skull, a Lightning Bolt and a Trident.

Peter gave a pissed off growl and said before Chiron or anyone could say a word "My great grandfather is Hades, my grandfather is Zeus and my father is Poseidon." He turned to me and said with a smile, he had a twinkle in his eyes that I have yet to see before. He said to me "Looks like you _**ARE**_ my brother. I could not have had a better brother…"

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here was the next chapter how was it?**

 **If I can do better please leave a review or PM me!**

 **PS: I am going to put a few twists in the plot, if you have any ideas of guesses for the future I would love to hear it!**

 **Death Fury out!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Here is the seventh chapter!**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I lead the Ares cabin away well most of them, somewhere between half and two thirds of them away from Percy. The only one strong and powerful who did not come after was Clarisse; she herself had a bone to pick with Percy.

I lead them deeper into the forest where it was darker and where the creek became deeper, but more narrow as well.

I had either six or eight with me. I stopped and pulled out the sword I had just made earlier today. I held it in a defensive position, I wore no armor unless you count my leather trench coat, it _**IS**_ better than nothing,

I said to the group with a chuckle "Wow you guys are more dense than you look!"

One than growled and charged, his sword high above his head, it looked like he was going to try to chop me in half. I waited until he was in the downward arc until I sidestepped it with superhuman speed, I smashed my sword on his fingers, breaking them as well as disarming him. He was going to shout in pay, I hit him with the flight side of the blade, knocking him out cold.

"How dare you do that to m=our brother! I am going to have fun breaking you down!" One of the larger males said, his eyes were full of bloodlust.

I replied "Come and get me dumb and ugly!" I took a step back into the shadows and I simply hid there. I made my voice echo all around "Come and get me if you can!"

"Show yourself you coward!" A different male said with a growl.

I darted from my shadow where I was hiding, I football tackled him, and I fell into our shadow where I teleported to the infirmary where I knocked him out. I quickly shadow traveled back.

I heard the last bit of a sentence "-brother!"

I stepped into the moonlight and smirked "If you want me, you could have just asked you know." There was for left, all males. There were built like football players, big and bulk. Let's say I would not want to wrestle them if I could help it, if it was not for my powers! For once I actually pity Percy for having to actually wrestle against these guys!

The last four seemed to have more of a battle plan.

There circled me, two had a spear and shield and the other two had sword and shield, all four wore body armor though only the swordsman did have a helmet on.

What did I have? A single sword (that I wanted to use), my powers and a level head.

I began to taunt them, however unlike the others, these guys actually understood how to keep a level head.

One of the spearman charged from behind. I rolled to the left (towards the creek). I had to raise my sword to block a strike from a sword. I swept his legs from under him. He did a face plant in the mud. While I was on the ground, I rolled on my back and smashed the back of his head with the heal of my military boot knocking him out cold.

I was about to roll to me belly so I could stand, but my spider sense went off, time seemed to slow as I sensed a spear coming. I swept my sword, deflecting the sword just enough for it to miss me. I did a hand spring and did a back flip, I was out the edge of the creek. I said "What is wrong? Is an unclaimed child able to take you all out? I thought you were children of War! You insult your own father!" Maybe that was a little harsh, but it did what it was intended to do.

They all charged.

I smirked.

I felt a tug in my gut as I willed the creek to do my bidding. I made a giant fist out of water and I hit the remaining of the Ares Cabin in a clean sweep.

I would have enjoyed the victory but I sensed danger, not towards me directly, but to a close friend, Percy!

I drove into the creek and willed the current to carry me towards where I left him. I saw a giant Hell Hound. I will the creek to form two hands. I ripped the monsters in half. I saw Percy was injured by the Hell Hound.

I stepped out of the water, but heard Clarisse yell "It is all Percy's fault! Percy summoned it!"

I gave an low growl to myself. I said in a cold threatening tone "Percy and I had nothing to do with his, daughter of War." The very air seemed to chill as I spoke.

Annabeth noticed Percy was hurt. She said "You are wounded. Quick, Percy, get in the water!"

Percy being both stubborn and in a state of shock he did not know HOW hurt he was. He claimed he was ok. Percy just said "I am ok!"

I told him gruffly and sternly "Just get in the water Perse!"

Percy whined and said "I thought you were on my side!"

Annabeth must not have heard Percy as she said to him "No, you are not ok." she said. "Chiron, watch this."

Percy looked too tired to fight anymore; he took a step back into the creek and the whole camp gathering around. I could tell he was feeling better already. I saw his wounds quickly heal as though he was Wolverine with a healing factor.

Annabeth said while pointing "Percy, Um…"

He looked up just in time to see a hologram of green light, spinning and gleaming. A three tipped spear: a trident.

"It is determined," Chiron announced.

All around Percy, campers started kneeling, even the Ares cabin, though they did not look happy about it. I smirked at them, but it was hidden by the shadows.

Annabeth said to Percy "Your father, This is _really_ not good!"

Percy asked bewildered "My father?"

"Poseidon," said Chiron. "Earth Shaker, Storm Bringer, Father of Horses. Hail, Perseus Jackson, Son of the Sea God."

Shortly after he was claimed, I was. I had a Skull, the Master Bolt and the same Trident that he had. I gave a very annoyed and angry growl, I was pissed off. Before anyone could utter a word, or think one more dirty thought I said "My great grandfather is Hades, my grandfather is Zeus and my father is Poseidon."

I turned to Percy with a an actual smile, a warm smile I and said "Looks like you _**ARE**_ my brother. I could not have had a better brother…"

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

The next morning, Chiron moved me and Peter to cabin three.

I had plenty of room for all my stuff: the Minotaur horn, one set of spare clothes and a toiletry bag. I got to sit at my own dinner table with Peter (if he showed up), pick all my own activities (unless Peter trained with me), I would call "lights out" whenever I felt like it and not listen to anybody else (Peter did his own thing, he did what he wanted when he wanted and how he wanted!).

And I was almost absolutely miserable.

Just when I had started to feel accepted, to feel I had a home in cabin eleven and I might be a normal kid or as normal as you can be when you are a half blood I had been separated out as if I had some rare disease.

Nobody mentioned the hellhound, but I got the feeling they were all talking about it behind my back.

The attack had scared everybody. It sent two messages: one, that I was the son of the Sea God; and two, monsters would stop at nothing to kill me.

They could even invade a camp that had always been considered safe.

The other campers steered clear of me and Peter as much as possible.

Cabin eleven was too nervous to have sword class with me after what I had done to the Ares folks in the woods, so my lessons with Luke became one on one.

He pushed me harder than ever, and was not afraid to bruise me up in the process. Where was Peter? I had no clue, he would be gone by sunrise and sometimes not even be the cabin at night.

"You are going to need all the training you can get." he promised, as we were working with swords and flaming torches. "Now let's try that viper beheading strike again. Fifty more repetitions."

Annabeth still taught me Greek in the mornings, but she seemed distracted. Every time I said something, she scowled at me, as if I had just poked her between the eyes.

After lessons, she would walk away muttering to herself: "Quest… Poseidon?… Dirty rotten… Got to make a plan…"

Even Clarisse kept her distance, though her venomous looks made it clear she wanted to kill me for breaking her magic spear. I wished she would just yell or punch me or something. I would rather get into fights every day than be ignored.

I knew somebody at camp resented me, because one night I came into my cabin and found a mortal newspaper dropped inside the doorway, a _New York Daily News_ , opened to the Metro page. The article took me almost an hour to read, because the angrier I got, the more the words floated around on the page.

 **BOY AND MOTHER STILL MISSING AFTER FREAK CAR ACCIDENT**

BY EILEEN SMYTHE

Sally Jackson and son Percy are still missing one week after their mysterious disappearance. The family's badly burned '78

Camaro was discovered last Saturday on a north Long Island road with the roof ripped off and the front axle broken. The car had flipped and skidded for several hundred meters before exploding.

Mother and son had gone for a weekend vacation to Montauk, but left hastily, under mysterious circumstances. Small traces of blood were found in the car and near the scene of the wreck, but there were no other signs of the missing Jacksons. Residents in the rural area reported seeing nothing unusual around the time of the accident. Ms Jackson's husband, Gabe Ugliano, claims that his stepson, Percy Jackson, is a troubled child who has been kicked out of numerous boarding schools and has expressed violent tendencies in the past. Police would not say whether son Percy is a suspect in his mother's disappearance, but they have not ruled out foul play. Below are recent pictures of Sally Jackson and Percy. Police urge anyone with information to call the following toll free crime stoppers hotline.

The phone number was circled in black marker.

I wadded up the paper and threw it away, then flopped down in my bunk bed in the middle of my empty cabin.

"Lights out!" I told myself miserably.

That night, I had my worst dream yet.

I was running along the beach in a storm. This time, there was a city behind me. Not New York. The sprawl was different: buildings spread farther apart, palm trees and low hills in the distance.

About a hundred meters down the surf, two men were fighting. They looked like TV wrestlers, muscular, with beards and long hair. Both wore flowing Greek tunics, one trimmed in blue, the other in green.

They grappled with each other, wrestled, kicked and head-butted, and every time they connected, lightning flashed, the sky grew darker, and the wind rose.

I had to stop them. I did not know why. But the harder I ran, the more the wind blew me back, until I was running on the spot, my heels digging uselessly in the sand.

Over the roar of the storm, I could hear the blue-robed one yelling at the green-robed one, _Give it back! Give it back!_ Like a kindergartner fighting over a toy.

The waves got bigger, crashing into the beach, spraying me with salt.

I yelled, _Stop it! Stop fighting!_ The ground shook. Laughter came from somewhere under the earth, and a voice so deep and evil itturned my blood to ice.

"Come down, little hero," the voice crooned. "Come down!"

The sand split beneath me, opening up a crevice straight down to the centre of the earth. My feet slipped, and darkness swallowed me.

I woke up, sure I was falling.

I was still in bed in cabin three. My body told me it was morning, but it was dark outside, and thunder rolled across the hills. A storm was brewing. I had not dreamed that.

I heard a clopping sound at the door, a hoof knocking on the threshold. "Come in." I said thinking it was Peter. He seemed to prefer to knock, even though this was his cabin just as much as it was mine.

Grover trotted inside, looking worried. "Mr. D wants to see you and Peter"

"Why?" I asked.

"He wants to kill… I mean, I'd better let him tell you." Grover told me.

Nervously, I got dressed and followed, sure that I was in huge trouble.

For days, I had been half expecting a summons to the Big House. Now that I was declared a son of Poseidon, one of the Big Three gods who were not supposed to have kids, I figured it was a crime for me just to be alive.

The other gods had probably been debating the best way to punish me for existing, and now Mr. D was ready to deliver their verdict.

Over Long Island Sound, the sky looked like ink soup coming to a boil. A hazy curtain of rain was coming in our direction. I asked Grover if we needed an umbrella. "No," he said. "It never rains here unless we want it to."

I pointed at the storm. "What the heck is that, then?"

He glanced uneasily at the sky. "It will pass around us. Bad weather always does."

I realized he was right. In the week I had been here, it had never even been overcast. The few rain clouds I had seen had skirted right around the edges of the valley.

But this storm… this one was huge.

At the volleyball pit, the kids from Apollo's cabin were playing a morning game against the satyrs.

Dionysus's twins were walking around in the strawberry fields, making the plants grow.

Everybody was going about their normal business, but they looked tense. They kept their eyes on the storm.

Grover and I walked up to the front porch of the Big House.

Dionysus sat at the pinochle table in his tiger striped Hawaiian shirt with his Diet Coke, just as he had on my first day.

Chiron sat across the table in his fake wheelchair. They were playing against invisible opponents –two sets of cards hovering in the air.

"Well, well, well" Mr. D said without looking up. "If it is not one of our little celebrities."

I waited.

"Come closer," Mr. D said. "And do not expect me to kowtow to you, mortal, just because old Barnacle Beard is your father."

A net of lightning flashed across the clouds. Thunder shook the windows of the house.

"Blah, blah, blah," Dionysus said.

Chiron feigned interest in his pinochle cards.

Grover cowered by the railing, his hooves clopping back and forth.

"If I had my way," Dionysus said, "I would cause your molecules to erupt in flames. We'd sweep up the ashes and be done with a lot of trouble. But Chiron seems to feel this would be against my mission at this cursed camp: to keep you little brats safe from harm."

"Spontaneous combustion _is_ a form of harm, Mr. D," Chiron put in.

"Nonsense," Dionysus said. "Boy would not even feel a thing. Nevertheless, I have agreed to restrain myself. Though I am thinking of turning you into a dolphin instead, sending you back to your father."

"Mr. D…." Chiron warned.

"Oh, all right," Dionysus relented. "There is one more option. But it is deadly foolishness."

Dionysus rose, and the invisible players' cards dropped to the table. "I am off to Olympus for the emergency meeting. If the boy is still here when I get back, I will turn him into an Atlantic bottlenose. Do you understand? And Perseus Jackson, if you are at all smart, you will see that is a much more sensible choice than what Chiron feels you must do."

Dionysus picked up a playing card, twisted it, and it became a plastic rectangle. A credit card? No. A security pass.

He snapped his fingers.

The air seemed to fold and bend around him. He became a holograph, then a wind, and then he was gone, leaving only the smell of fresh-pressed grapes lingering behind.

Chiron smiled at me, but he looked tired and strained. "Sit, Percy, please, and you too Grover."

We did.

Chiron laid his cards on the table, a winning hand he had not got to use.

"Tell me, Percy," he said. "What did you make of the hellhound?"

Just hearing the name made me shudder if it was not for Peter I would have been dog food!

Chiron probably wanted me to say, _Heck, it was nothing. I eat hellhounds for breakfast._ But I did not feel like lying. So spoke the truth.

"It scared me," I said. "If Peter had not killed it, I would be dead."

"You will meet worse, Percy. Far worse, before you are done." Chiron said in a tone of warning.

"Done… with what?" I asked.

Chiron replied and said "Your quest, of course. Will you accept it?"

I glanced at Grover, who was crossing his fingers.

"Um, sir," I said, "you have not told me what it is yet."

Chiron grimaced."'Well, that _**IS**_ the hard part, the details…"

Thunder rumbled across the valley. The storm clouds had now reached the edge of the beach. As far as I could see, the sky and the sea were boiling together.

"Poseidon and Zeus," I said. "They are fighting over something valuable… something that was stolen, aren't they?"

Chiron and Grover exchanged looks.

Chiron sat forward in his wheelchair. "How did you know that?"

My face felt hot. I wished I had not opened my big mouth. "The weather since Christmas has been weird, like the sea and the sky are fighting. Then I talked to Annabeth, and she'd overheard something about a theft. And… I have also been having these dreams." I was hoping that adding the dreams would not make me seem like I am crazy.

"I knew it!" Grover exclaimed. I thought he was going to say I was crazy.

"Hush, satyr," Chiron ordered.

"But it is his quest!" Grover's eyes were bright with excitement. "It must be!"

"Only the Oracle can determine." Chiron stroked his bristly beard. Never the less, Percy, you are correct. Your father and Zeus are having their worst quarrel in centuries. They are fighting over something valuable that was stolen. To be precise: a lightning bolt."

I laughed nervously. "A _what?"_

"Do not take this lightly," Chiron warned. "I a m not talking about some tinfoil covered zigzag you would see in a second grade play. I am talking about a two-foot-long cylinder of high-grade celestial bronze, capped on both ends with god level explosives."

"Oh…" My mouth must have formed a perfect 'O'

"Zeus's master bolt," Chiron said, getting worked up now. "Is the symbol of his power, from which all other lightning bolts are patterned. The first weapon made by the Cyclopes for the war against the Titans, the bolt that sheered the top off Mount Etna and hurled Kronos from his throne; the master bolt, which packs enough power to make mortal hydrogen bombs look like firecrackers."

" And it is missing?" I asked trying to fit all of the pieces together.

"Stolen," Chiron said.

"By who?" I asked

"By _whom_ " Chiron corrected. Once a teacher, always a teacher. "By you."

My mouth fell open.

"At least" Chiron held up a hand "that is what Zeus thinks. During the winter solstice, at the last council of the gods, Zeus and Poseidon had an argument. The usual nonsense: 'Mother Rhea always liked you best,' 'Air disasters are more spectacular than sea disasters,' et cetera. Afterwards, Zeus realized his master bolt was missing, taken from the throne room under his very nose. He immediately blamed Poseidon. Now a god cannot usurp another god's symbol of power directly that is forbidden by the most ancient of divine laws. But Zeus believes your father convinced a human hero to take it."

"But I did not even –"

"Patience and listen, child," Chiron chided me. "Zeus has good reason to be suspicious. The forges of the Cyclopes are under the ocean, which gives Poseidon some influence over the makers of his brother's lightning. Zeus believes Poseidon has taken the master bolt, and is now secretly having the Cyclopes build an arsenal of illegal copies, which might be used to topple Zeus from his throne. The only thing Zeus was not sure about was which hero Poseidon used to steal the bolt. Now Poseidon has openly claimed you as his son. You were in New York over the winter holidays. You could easily have snuck into Olympus. Zeus believes he has found his thief."

"But I have never even been to Olympus! Zeus is crazy!" I practically yelled at Chiron.

Chiron and Grover glanced nervously at the sky. The clouds did not seem to be parting around us, as Grover had promised. They were rolling straight over our valley, sealing us in like a coffin lid.

"Er, Percy…?" Grover said. "We do not use the _c_ \- word to describe the Lord of the Sky."

"'Perhaps _paranoid,"_ Chiron suggested. "Then again, Poseidon has tried to unseat Zeus before. I believe that was question thirty eight on your final exam…" He looked at me as if he actually expected me to remember question thirty eight.

How could anyone accuse me of stealing a god's weapon? I could not even steal a slice of pizza from Gabe's poker party without getting busted.

Chiron was waiting for an answer.

"Something about a golden net?" I guessed. "Poseidon and Hera and a few other gods… they, like, trapped Zeus and would not let him out until he promised to be a better ruler, right?"

"Correct,' Chiron said. "And Zeus has never trusted Poseidon since. Of course, Poseidon denies stealing the master bolt. He took great offence at the accusation. The two have been arguing back and forth for months, threatening war. And now, you have come along the proverbial last straw."

"But I am just a kid!"

"Percy," Grover cut in, "if you were Zeus, and you already thought your brother was plotting to overthrow you, then your brother suddenly admitted he had broken the sacred oath he took after World War II, that he has fathered a new mortal hero who might be used as a weapon against you… Would not that put a twist in your toga?"

'"But I did not do anything. Poseidon my dad he did not really have this master bolt stolen, did he?"

Chiron sighed. "Most thinking observers would agree that thievery is not Poseidon's style. But the sea god is too proud to try convincing Zeus of that. Zeus has demanded that Poseidon return the bolt by the summer solstice. That is June twenty-first, ten days from now. Poseidon wants an apology for being called a thief by the same date. I hoped that diplomacy might prevail, that Hera or Demeter or Hestia would make the two brothers see sense. But your arrival has inflamed Zeus's temper. Now neither god will back down. Unless someone intervenes, unless the master bolt is found and returned to Zeus before the solstice, there will be war. And do you know what a full fledged war would look like, Percy?"

"Bad?" I guessed.

"Imagine the world in chaos. Nature at war with itself. Olympians forced to choose sides between Zeus and Poseidon. Destruction. Carnage. Millions dead. Western civilization turned into a battleground so big it will make the Trojan War look like a water balloon fight."

"Bad." I repeated.

"And you, Percy Jackson, would be the first to feel Zeus's wrath."

It started to rain. Volleyball players stopped their game and stared in stunned silence at the sky.

 _I_ had brought this storm to Half Blood Hill. Zeus was punishing the whole camp because of me.

I was furious.

"So I have to find the stupid bolt," I said. "And return it to Zeus."

"What better peace offering," Chiron said, "than to have the son of Poseidon return Zeus's property?"

"If Poseidon does not have it, where is the thing?" I asked.

"I believe I know." Chiron's expression was grim. "Part of a prophecy I had years ago… well, some of the lines make sense to me, now. But before I can say more, you must officially take up the quest. You must seek the counsel of the Oracle."

"Why can't you tell me where the bolt is beforehand?" I asked.

"Because if I did, you would be too afraid to accept the challenge." He explained to me.

I swallowed nervously. "Good reason."

"You agree then?" He asked.

I looked at Grover, who nodded encouragingly. Easy for him. I was the one Zeus wanted to kill.

"All right," I said. "It is better than being turned into a dolphin."

"Then it is time you consulted the Oracle," Chiron said. "Go upstairs, Percy Jackson, to the attic. When you come back down, assuming you ae still sane, we will talk more."

Four flights up, the stairs ended under a green trapdoor.

I pulled the cord. The door swung down, and a wooden ladder clattered into place.

The warm air from above smelled like mildew and rotten wood and something else… a smell I remembered from biology class. Reptiles. The smell of snakes.

I held my breath and climbed.

The attic was filled with Greek hero junk: armour stands covered in cobwebs; once bright shields pitted with rust; old leather steamer trunks plastered with stickers saying

ITHAKA, CIRCE'S ISLE and LAND OF THE AMAZONS.

One long table was stacked with glass jars filled with pickled _things_ severed hairy claws, huge yellow eyes, various other parts of monsters.

A dusty mounted trophy on the wall looked like a giant snake's head, but with horns and a full set of shark's teeth.

The plaque read: HYDRA HEAD NO. I, WOODSTOCK, NY, 1969.

By the window, sitting on a wooden tripod stool, was the most gruesome memento of all: a mummy. Not the wrapped-in-cloth kind, but a human female body shriveled to a husk. She wore a tie dyed sundress, lots of beaded necklaces, and a headband over long black hair. The skin of her face was thin and leathery over her skull, and her eyes were glassy white slits, as if the real eyes had been replaced by marbles; she'd been dead a long, long time.

Looking at her sent chills running up and down my spine. And that was before she sat up on her stool and opened her mouth. A green mist poured from the mummy's mouth, coiling over the floor in thick tendrils, hissing like twenty thousand snakes. I stumbled over myself trying to get to the trapdoor, but it slammed shut.

Inside my head, I heard a voice, slithering into one ear and coiling around my brain: _I am the spirit of Delphi, speaker of the prophecies of Phoebus Apollo, slayer of the mighty Python. Approach, seeker, and ask._

I wanted to say, _No thanks, wrong door, just looking for the bathroom._ But I forced myself to take a deep breath.

The mummy was not alive. She was some kind of gruesome receptacle for something else, the power that was now swirling around me in the green mist.

But its presence did not feel evil, like my demonic math teacher Mrs. Dodd or the Minotaur. It felt more like the Three Fates I had seen knitting the yarn outside the highway fruit stand: ancient, powerful and definitely _not_ human. But not particularly interested in killing me, either.

I got up the courage to ask, "What is my destiny?"

The mist swirled more thickly, collecting right in front of me and around the table with the pickled monster part jars. Suddenly there were four men sitting around the table, playing cards. Their faces became clearer. It was Smelly Gabe and his buddies.

My fists clenched, though I knew this poker party could not be real. It was an illusion, made out of mist.

Gabe turned towards me and spoke in the rasping voice of the Oracle:

 _You shall go west, and face the god who has turned._

His buddy on the right looked up and said in the same voice:

 _You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned._

The guy on the left threw in two poker chips, then said:

 _You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend._

Finally, Eddie, our building super, delivered the worst line of all:

 _And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end._

The figures began to dissolve. At first I was too stunned to say anything, but as the mist retreated, coiling into a huge green serpent and slithering back into the mouth of the mummy, I cried, "Wait! What do you mean? What friend? What will I fail to save?"

The tail of the mist snake disappeared into the mummy's mouth. She reclined back against the wall. Her mouth closed tight, as if it had not been open in a hundred years.

The attic was silent again, abandoned, nothing but a room full of mementos.

I got the feeling that I could stand here until I had cobwebs, too, and I would not learn anything else.

My audience with the Oracle was over.

"Well?" Chiron asked me.

I slumped into a chair at the pinochle table. "She said I would retrieve what was stolen."

Grover sat forward, chewing excitedly on the remains of a Diet Coke can. "That's great!" He said in a very excited voice.

"What did the Oracle say _exactly?"_ Chiron pressed. "This is important."

My ears were still tingling from the reptilian voice. 'She… she said I would go west and face a god who had turned. I would retrieve what was stolen and see it safely returned."

"I knew it!" Grover said.

Chiron did not look satisfied. '"Anything else?"

I did not want to tell him.

What friend would betray me? I did not have that many.

And the last line I would fail to save what mattered most. What kind of Oracle would send me on a quest and tell me, _Oh, by the way, you'll fail._

How could I confess that?

"No," I said. "That is about it."

He studied my face. "Very well, Percy. But know this: the Oracle's words often have double meanings. Do not dwell on them too much. The truth is not always clear until events come to pass."

I got the feeling he knew I was holding back something bad, and he was trying to make me feel better.

"Okay," I said, anxious to change topics. "So where do I go? Who is this god in the west?"

"Ah, think, Percy" Chiron said. "If Zeus and Poseidon weaken each other in a war, who stands to gain?"

"Somebody else who wants to take over?" I guessed.

"Yes, quite. Someone who harbors a grudge, who has been unhappy with his lot since the world was divided eons ago, whose kingdom would grow powerful with the deaths of millions. Someone who hates his brothers for forcing him into an oath to have no more children, an oath that both of them have now broken."

I thought about my dreams, the evil voice that had spoken from under the ground. "Hades."

Chiron nodded. "The Lord of the Dead is the only possibility."

The air grew cold and the shadows darkened. Out of the shadows came…

Peter.

Peter came out of the shadows and said coldly "Are you sure centaur? I could think of several others; Ares, he is always looking for a fight, always looking for war. Hercules, he once wrestled his father into a stalemate. It could be any number of minor gods such as Triton, though I doubt it is him."

A scrap of aluminum dribbled out of Grover's mouth. "Whoa, wait. Wh what?!"

"A Fury came after Percy," Chiron reminded him. "She watched the young man until she was sure of his identity, then tried to kill him. Furies obey only one lord: Hades."

"Yes, but but Hades hates _all_ heroes," Grover protested. "Especially if he has found out Percy is a son of Poseidon…"

"A hellhound got into the forest," Chiron continued. "Those can only be summoned from the Fields of Punishment, and it had to be summoned by someone within the camp. Hades must have a spy here. He must suspect Poseidon will try to use Percy to clear his name. Hades would very much like to kill this young half blood before he can take on the quest."

Peter said coldly "No, what if Hades lost something also… HE thought Percy stole something from him. If memory severs me correctly, Hades is only allowed on Olympus during the Winter Solstice!"

"Great," I muttered. "That is at least two major gods who want to kill me."

"But a quest to…" Grover swallowed. "I mean, could not the master bolt be in some place like Maine? Maine is very nice this time of year."

"If Hades sent a minion to steal the master bolt," Chiron insisted. "He hid it in the Underworld, knowing full well that Zeus would blame Poseidon. I do not pretend to understand the Lord of the Dead's motives perfectly, or why he chose this time to start a war, but one thing is certain. Percy must go to the Underworld, find the master bolt, and reveal the truth."

A strange fire burned in my stomach. The weirdest thing was: it was not fear.

It was anticipation.

The desire for revenge. Hades had tried to kill me three times so far, with the Fury, the Minotaur and the hellhound. It was his fault my mother had disappeared in a flash of light. Now he was trying to frame me and my dad for a theft we had not committed.

I was ready to take him on.

Besides, if my mother was in the Underworld…

Whoa, boy, said the small part of my brain that was still sane. You are a kid.

Hades is a god.

Grover was trembling. He had started eating pinochle cards like potato crisps.

The poor guy needed to complete a quest with me so he could get his searcher's license, whatever that was, but how could I ask him to do this quest, especially when the Oracle said I was destined to fail? This was suicide.

"Look, if we know it is Hades," I told Chiron, "why can't we just tell the other gods? Zeus or Poseidon could go down to the Underworld and bust some heads."

Peter said coldly "We do not _**KNOW**_ anything making a false claimed _**COULD**_ start war."

"Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron answering my question "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades and I imagine Poseidon does they could not retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere, challenge anyone, as long as they are bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

"You are saying I am being used." I said feeling slightly angered at the thought of me being a pawn.

"I am saying it is no accident Poseidon has claimed you now. It is a very risky gamble, but he is in a desperate situation. He needs you."

My dad needs me.

Emotions rolled around inside me like bits of glass in a kaleidoscope. I did not know whether to feel resentful or grateful or happy or angry. Poseidon had ignored me for twelve years.

Now suddenly he needed me.

I looked at Chiron. "You have known I was Poseidon's son all along, have not you?" I accused.

"I had my suspicions. As I said… I have spoken to the Oracle, too."

I got the feeling there was a lot he was not telling me about his prophecy, but I decided I could not worry about that right now. After all, I was holding back information too.

"So let me get this straight," I said. "I am supposed go to the Underworld and confront the Lord of the Dead."

"Check," Chiron said.

I put of a second finger "Find the most powerful weapon in the universe."

Chiron reply was "Check."

"And get it back to Olympus before the summer solstice, in ten days." I held up a third finger.

"That is about right." He said calmly.

I looked at Grover, who gulped down the ace of hearts. "Did I mention that Maine is very nice this time of year?" he asked weakly.

"You do not have to go,' I told him. "'I can't ask that of you."

"Oh…" He shifted his hooves. "No… it is just that satyrs and underground places… well…"

He took a deep breath, and then stood, brushing the shredded cards and aluminum bits off his T-shirt.

"You saved my life, Percy. If… if you are serious about wanting me along, I will not let you down."

I felt so relieved I wanted to cry, though I did not think that would be very heroic. Grover and Peter were the only friend I had ever had for longer than a few months. I was not sure what good a satyr could do against the forces of the dead, but I felt better knowing he would be with me.

"All the way, G-man." I turned to Chiron. "So where do we go? The Oracle just said to go west."

"The entrance to the Underworld is always in the west. It moves from age to age, just like Olympus. Right now, of course, it's in America."

"Where?" I asked.

Chiron looked surprised. "I thought that would be obvious enough. The entrance to the Underworld is in Los Angeles."

"Oh,"' I said. "Naturally. So we just get on a plane-"

"No!" Grover shrieked. "Percy, what are you thinking? Have you ever been on a plane in your life?"

I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. My mom had never taken me anywhere by plane. She would always say we did not have the money. Besides, her parents had died in a plane crash.

"Percy, think," Chiron said. "You are the son of the Sea God. Your father's bitterest rival is Zeus, Lord of the Sky. Your mother knew better than to trust you in an air plane. You would be in Zeus's domain. You would never come down again alive."

Overhead, lightning crackled. Thunder boomed.

Peter chuckled and said "I myself do not usually fly. I prefer to stick to land, where I have solid footing."

"Okay," I said, determined not to look at the storm. "So, I will travel overland."

"You are correct," Chiron said. "Two companions may accompany you. Grover is one. The other has already volunteered, if you will accept her help."

"Gee," I said, feigning surprise. "Who else would be stupid enough to volunteer for a quest like this?"

The air shimmered behind Chiron.

Annabeth became visible, stuffing her Yankees cap into her back pocket.

"I have been waiting a long time for a quest, Seaweed Brain," she said. "Athena is no fan of Poseidon, but if you are going to save the world, I am the best person to keep you from messing up."

"If you do say so yourself," I said. "I suppose you have a plan, Wise Girl?"

Her cheeks colored. "Do you want my help or not?"

The truth was, I did. I needed all the help I could get.

"A trio," I said. "That will work."

"Excellent," Chiron said. "This afternoon, we can take you as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan. After that, you are on your own."

Lightning flashed. Rain poured down on the meadows that were never supposed to have violent weather.

"No time to waste," Chiron said. "I think you should all get packing."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

After Percy and I were claimed, the next morning Chiron stuffed us into Cabin Three, Poseidon's Cabin.

We had more than enough room. I chose the top bunk near the front of the cabin door, where if I wanted I could jump down on anyone who came in. Percy chose one on the other side of the room. Percy kept his horn and everything he had, which pretty much was the clothes on his back and the Minotaur horn and the toiletry bag.

Me? I had even less than he did. All I had was the clothes on my back, the sword and the necklace I made.

I let Percy be the leader, but I did my own thing for the most part.

Since we have been claimed, everyone avoided him, and well they stayed clear of me! I could tell Percy was hurt by this. I helped Percy the best way I could. I trained him. We would go to the beach where I could teach him how to control the water, at first he sucked, but he slowly got better. His stamina was extremely low.

At first it took nearly all of his energy to control about a gallon of water, out of the water. I could tell he was over thinking it.

I asked him not to talk about me much and not to mention me training him, he agreed but was curious _**WHY**_ I asked him that, but he did not question it.

We would spar with our swords, but he did not have a balanced blade, it made it nearly impossible for him to do any good. I knew if he could fight with a bad blade, just think of what he could with a good blade! I would train him till he cannot even stand, then throw him into the sea. He would get a power rush, and then I would beat him again. He got better and learned quickly.

However I myself was not at camp very much. No one did anything about though. Nobody got in my way or questioned me, except for Percy, and he is my brother, the closest thing I have to family. I am going to protect him in every way I can!

My presence at the camp however was not appreciated. I must have rank of death, and the dead. Most of the campers avoided me with fear in their eyes, I guess it did not help that I almost always had a glare or a scowl on my face. But to be honest, I have been alone most of my life and I know how to take care of myself.

So I often went a few hunt, I would go to the city and look for crime, sometimes I would be similar to "Spider Man" other times I became "The Shadow".

I loved the thrill of the Hunt of course I seldom left the people with things worse than a broken nose and maybe a mild concussion. Nothing major for the most part. I used the Mist to hide my tracks from both mortal and immortal alike. In a few weeks I sent about a dozen more girls towards the Hunt and a few demigods to Camp Half Blood. Most of them seemed to be either Apollo or Aphrodite.

I got very, very good with the chains I made. I learned I could infuse my powers into it, meaning… I could use my fire ability to catch the chain of fire. I could use electricity through the chain. I could use cold and ice through the chains. The chains became a very powerful asset; though one I did not use very often (unless I went into the Underworld.

I actually visited the Hunt, some of the older new girls did not take kindly to me at first, but when Artemis and the eldest of the Hunt vouched for me and when the new recruits told them how I helped them. They all warmed up to me. Of course I did not stay very long there, much to the annoyance of Artemis and Zoe.

Do not get me wrong, I would have loved to stick around, but I had to go to Camp Half Blood. Not that I do much there. But I sis hang around a lot more than I did not. I helped train the new recruits with knives and daggers.

The blessing of Artemis made them a tough group, especially when they worked as a unit! You had bows and arrows coming from all angles, always moving, never missing there mark. Then you had a few attacking from the front, right, center, left and the back of me. They almost one once, the thing that saved me was the shadows. I bound them in their own shadow.

I sparred with Artemis for old time's sake and she is tough as ever! She actually was able to pin me once, but the earth swallowed both of us up and I won that way. Is it cheating? I guess, but I do not like losing and should war happen, everything is fair.

Anyway I sensed a strong storm approaching, it was Zeus's bidding. I gave a growl as I used the storm to lightning travel to Camp Half Blood.

When I got there I overheard Chiron blaming Hades for a plausible thief my temper got the best of me I said in a tone that was cold and dark "Are you sure centaur? I could think of several others; Ares, he is always looking for a fight, always looking for war. Hercules, he once wrestled his father into a stalemate. It could be any number of minor gods such as Triton, though I doubt it is him."

They seemed to ignore me for the most part, but they all feared me. I could smell it.

They spoke of how they might now how Hades did it, key word might. I once again lost my temped "We do not _**KNOW**_ anything making a false claimed _**COULD**_ start war."

Chiron backed me up when he said "Suspecting and knowing are not the same," Chiron answering my question "Besides, even if the other gods suspect Hades and I imagine Poseidon does they could not retrieve the bolt themselves. Gods cannot cross each other's territories except by invitation. That is another ancient rule. Heroes, on the other hand, have certain privileges. They can go anywhere; challenge anyone, as long as they are bold enough and strong enough to do it. No god can be held responsible for a hero's actions. Why do you think the gods always operate through humans?"

I could tell Percy was not happy with this, but when he said "You are saying I am being used." I knew then and there he was angry at the thought of being controlled. I hated it too. I could smell the anger coming from Percy.

I stood ever present in the shadows; they seemed to forget I was there again.

They spoke of the land west.

I was lost in my own thoughts, the next thing I knew Annabeth and Grover were the two who were going on the quest.

They were going to leave later this afternoon. You think I am going to stay behind?

Heck no!

I am going on this quest, whether they want me to or not!

I overheard the part about traveling as far as the bus terminal in Manhattan.

I was going to go. I went to the van, I got in and I took a nap while I was waiting.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

It did not take me long to pack. I decided to leave the Minotaur horn in my cabin, which left me only an extra change of clothes and a toothbrush to stuff in a backpack Luke had stole for me.

The camp store loaned me one hundred dollars in mortal money and twenty golden drachmas.

These coins were as big as Girl Scout cookies and had images of various Greek gods stamped on one side and the Empire State Building on the other. The ancient mortal drachmas had been silver, Chiron told us, but Olympians never used less than pure gold. Chiron said the coins might come in handy for none mortal transactions whatever that meant.

He gave Annabeth and me each a flask of nectar and an airtight bag full of ambrosia squares, to be used only in emergencies, if we were seriously hurt. It was god food, Chiron reminded us. It would cure us of almost any injury, but it was lethal to mortals.

Too much of it would make a half blood very, very feverish. An overdose would burn us up, literally.

Annabeth was bringing her magic Yankees cap, which she told me had been a twelfth birthday present from her mom.

She carried a book on famous classical architecture, written in Ancient Greek, to read when she got bored, and a long bronze knife, hidden in her shirt sleeve. I was sure the knife would get us busted the first time we went through a metal detector.

Grover wore his fake feet and his trousers to pass as human. He wore a green Rasta style cap, because when it rained his curly hair flattened and you could just see the tips of his horns. His bright orange backpack was full of scrap metal and apples to snack on. In his pocket was a set of reed pipes his daddy goat had carved for him, even though he only knew two songs: Mozart's Piano Concerto no. 12 and Hilary Duff's 'So Yesterday', both of which sounded pretty bad on reed pipes.

We waved goodbye to the other campers, took one last look at the strawberry fields, the ocean and the Big House, then hiked up Half Blood Hill to the tall pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of

Zeus.

Chiron was waiting for us in his wheelchair. Next to him stood the surfer dude I'd seen when I was recovering in the sick room. According to Grover, the guy was the camp's head of security. He supposedly had eyes all over his body so he could never be surprised. Today, though, he was wearing a chauffeur's uniform, so I could only see extra peepers on his hands, face and neck.

"This is Argus," Chiron told me. "He will drive you into the city, and, er, well, keep an eye on things."

I heard footsteps behind us.

Luke came running up the hill, carrying a pair of basketball shoes.

"Hey!" he panted. "Glad I caught you."

Annabeth blushed, the way she always did when Luke was around.

"Just wanted to say good luck," Luke told me. "And I thought… um, maybe you could use these."

He handed me the sneakers, which looked pretty normal. They even smelled kind of normal.

Luke said, _"Maia!"_

White bird's wings sprouted out of the heels, startling me so much, I dropped them. The shoes flapped around on the ground until the wings folded up and disappeared.

"Awesome!" Grover said.

Luke smiled. "Those served me well when I was on my quest. Gift from Dad. Of course, I do not use them much these days…" His expression turned sad.

I did not know what to say. It was cool enough that Luke had come to say goodbye. I'd been afraid he might resent me for getting so much attention the last few days.

But here he was giving me a magic gift… It made me blush _almost_ as much as Annabeth.

"Hey, man," I said. "Thanks."

"Listen, Percy…" Luke looked uncomfortable. "A lot of hopes are riding on you. So just… kill some monsters for me, okay?"

We shook hands. Luke patted Grover's head between his horns, and then gave a goodbye hug to Annabeth, who looked like she might pass out.

After Luke was gone, I told her, "You are hyperventilating."

"Am not!" She denied, but her face was red from blushing.

"You let him capture the flag instead of you, did you not?" I asked with an raised eyebrow.

"Oh… why do I want to go anywhere with you, Percy?!" She growled as she stomped down the other side of the hill, where a white SUV waited on the shoulder of the road.

Argus followed, jingling his car keys.

I picked up the flying shoes and had a sudden bad feeling. I looked at Chiron. "I will not be able to use these, will I?"

He shook his head. "Luke meant well, Percy. But taking to the air… that would not be wise for you."

I nodded, disappointed, but then I got an idea. "Hey, Grover. You want a magic item?"

His eyes lit up with excitement. "Me?"

I said "Of course you!"

He nodded eagerly. Pretty soon we had laced the sneakers over his fake feet, and the world's first flying goat boy was ready for launch.

" _Maia!"_ he shouted.

He got off the ground okay, but then fell over sideways so his backpack dragged through the grass. The winged shoes kept bucking up and down like tiny broncos.

"Practice," Chiron called after him. "You just need practice!"

'Aaaaa!' Grover went flying sideways down the hill like a possessed lawn mower, heading towards the van.

Before I could follow, Chiron caught my arm. "I should have trained you better, Percy," he said. 'If only I had more time. Hercules, Jason they all got more training."

"It is okay. I just wish-" I stopped myself because I was about to sound like a brat. I was wishing my dad had given me a cool magic item to help on the quest, something as good as Luke's flying shoes, or Annabeth's invisible cap.

"What am I thinking?" Chiron cried. "I can't let you get away without this!"

He pulled a pen from his coat pocket and handed it to me. It was an ordinary disposable ballpoint, black ink, removable cap. Probably cost thirty cents. I did not think anything of it.

"Gee. Thanks."I said with sarcasm dipping thickly in my voice.

"Percy, that is a gift from your father. I have kept it for years, not knowing you were who I was waiting for. But the prophecy is clear to me now. You are the one."

I thought _'What about Peter?'_

I remembered the field trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, when I had vaporized Mrs. Dodd.

Chiron had thrown me a pen that turned into a sword. Could this be…?

I took off the cap, and the pen grew longer and heavier in my hand. In half a second, I held a shimmering bronze sword with a double edged blade, a leather wrapped grip and a flat hilt riveted with gold studs. It was the first weapon that actually felt balanced in my hand.

"The sword has a long and tragic history that we need not go into," Chiron told me. 'Its name is Anaklusmos."

"Riptide." I translated, surprised the Ancient Greek came so easily.

"Use it only for emergencies," Chiron said, "and only against monsters. No hero should harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, of course, but this sword would not harm them in any case."

I looked at the wickedly sharp blade. "What do you mean it would not harm mortals? How could it not?!"

"The sword is celestial bronze. It is forged by the Cyclopes, tempered in the heart of Mount Etna, cooled in the River Lethe. It is deadly to monsters, to any creature from the Underworld, provided they do not kill you first. But the blade will pass through mortals like an illusion. They simply are not important enough for the blade to kill. And I should warn you: as a demigod, you can be killed by either celestial or normal weapons. You are twice as vulnerable."

I grumbled sarcastically "Good to know."

"Now recap the pen." Chiron instructed me.

I touched the pen cap to the sword tip and instantly Riptide shrank to a ballpoint pen again. I tucked it in my pocket, a little nervous, because I was famous for losing pens wherever I went.

As if reading my thought Chiron said "You can't."

I asked "I can't what?"

"Lose the pen," he said. "It is enchanted. It will always reappear in your pocket. Try it."

I was wary, but I threw the pen as far as I could down the hill and watched it disappear in the grass.

"It may take a few moments," Chiron told me. "Now check your pocket."

Sure enough, the pen was there.

"Okay, that is _extremely_ cool," I admitted. "But what if a mortal sees me pulling out a sword?"

Chiron smiled. "The Mist is a powerful thing, Percy."

I asked confused again "The Mist?"

"Yes. Read _The Iliad._ It is full of references to the stuff. Whenever divine or monstrous elements mix with the mortal world, they generate Mist, which obscures the vision of humans. You will see things just as they are, being a half blood, but humans will interpret things quite differently. It is really remarkable, the lengths to which humans will go to fit things into their version of reality."

I put Riptide back in my pocket.

For the first time, the quest felt real. I was actually leaving Half Blood Hill. I was heading west with no adult supervision, no backup plan, not even a cell phone. (Chiron said cell phones were traceable by monsters; if we used one, it would be worse than sending up a flare.) I had no weapon stronger than a sword to fight off monsters and reach the Land of the Dead.

"Chiron…" I said. "When you say the gods are immortal… I mean, there was a time _before_ them, right?"

"Four ages before them, actually. The Time of the Titans was the Fourth Age, sometimes called the Golden Age, which is definitely a misnomer. This, the time of Western civilization and the rule of Zeus, is the Fifth _Age_."

" _So_ what was it like… before the gods?" I asked.

Chiron pursed his lips. "Even I am not old enough to remember that, child, but I know it was a time of darkness and savagery for mortals. Kronos, the lord of the Titans, called his reign the Golden Age because men lived innocent and free of all knowledge. But that was mere propaganda. The Titan king cared nothing for your kind except as appetizers or a source of cheap entertainment. It was only in the early reign of Lord Zeus, when Prometheus the good Titan brought fire to mankind, that your species began to progress, and even then Prometheus was branded a radical thinker. Zeus punished him severely, as you may recall. Of course, eventually the gods warmed to humans, and Western civilization was born."

"But the gods can't die now, right? I mean, as long as Western civilization is alive, they are alive. So… even if I failed, nothing could happen so bad it would mess up _everything,_ right?"

Chiron gave me a sad smile. "No one knows how long the Age of the West will last, Percy. The gods are immortal, yes. But then, so were the Titans. _They_ still exist, locked away in their various prisons, forced to endure endless pain and punishment, reduced in power, but still very much alive. May the Fates forbid that the gods should ever suffer such a doom, or that we should ever return to the darkness and chaos of the past. All we can do, child, is follow our destiny."

"Our destiny… assuming we know what that is." I muttered.

"Relax," Chiron told me. "Keep a clear head. And remember, you may be about to prevent the biggest war in human history. No pressure."

"Relax,' I said. "I am very relaxed." That was the biggest lie of my life. My heart was going a million miles a minute. I was worried about my mom. I knew should I fail, billions would die. No pressure!

When I got to the bottom of the hill, I looked back. Under the pine tree that used to be Thalia, daughter of Zeus, Chiron was now standing in full horse man form, holding his bow high in salute. Just your typical summer camp send off by your typical centaur.

 **(Line Break)  
(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up when my spider sense went off. I knew then that people approaching the van. I sat there silently, knowing the dimly lit van would hide me. I was not going to be left behind, especially when I sensed great danger for Percy.

Soon they all climbed into the van. Between the shadows and the Mist I was hidden from sight.

Argus drove us out of the countryside and into western Long Island. It felt weird to be on a highway again, Annabeth and Grover sitting next to Percy as if we were normal carpoolers.

After two weeks at Camp Half Blood, the real world must have seemed like a fantasy to them. I found Percy staring at every McDonald's, and every kid in the back of his parents' car, every billboard and shopping mall.

"So far so good." Percy told Annabeth. "Ten miles and not a single monster."

I could have faced palmed. There was a reason why I do not even think such a thought! I knew he was going to jinx it! Before I could be tempted anymore than I was Annabeth spoke up.

She gave Percy an irritated look and said "It is bad luck to talk that way, seaweed brain."

Percy asked slightly sadden "Remind me again, why do you hate me so much?"

"I do not hate you." She said to Percy.

"You could have fooled me!" Percy said with a sigh.

She folded her cap of invisibility. "Look… we are just not supposed to get along, okay? Our parents are rivals."

"Why?" Of course Percy does not know that Athena and Poseidon are rivals.

She sighed. "How many reasons do you want? Time Athena and Poseidon competed to be the patron god for the city of Athens. Your dad created some stupid saltwater spring for his gift. My mom created the olive tree. The people saw that her gift was better, so they named the city after her."

"So they must really like olives." Percy said with a shrug

"Oh, forget it!" Annabeth said with a frustrated sigh. I did not blame her. Percy was _**EXTREMELY**_ dense! Even more than me!

"Now, if she had invented pizza _that_ I could understand." Percy said.

I face palmed.

"I said, forget it!" She almost shouted at him.

In the front seat, Argus smiled. He but did not say anything, but one blue eye on the back of his neck winked at Percy.

Traffic slowed us down in Queens. By the time we got into Manhattan it was sunset and starting to rain.

I for one blamed Zeus.

Argus dropped us at the Greyhound Station on the Upper East Side, not far from my mom and Gabe's apartment. Taped to a mailbox was a soggy flyer with Percy's picture on it: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS BOY?

Percy must have saw it too, because he ripped it down before Annabeth and Grover could notice.

Argus unloaded our bags, made sure we got our bus tickets, then drove away, the eye on the back of his hand opening to watch us as he pulled out of the parking lot.

Grover shouldered his backpack. He gazed down the street in the direction Percy was looking. "You want to know why she married him, Percy?" I knew they were talking about Sally now.

Percy stared at him stared at him and asked "Were you reading my mind or something?"

"Just your emotions." He shrugged. "Guess I forgot to tell you satyrs can do that. You were thinking about your mom and your stepdad, right?"

Percy nodded his head curious. I could tell he wanted to know why Sally would put up with a monster such as Gabe.

"Your mom married Gabe for _you,"_ Grover told him. "You call him "Smelly", but you have no idea how close you are. The guy has this aura… Yuck. I can even smell him from here. I can smell traces of him on you, and you have not been near him for a few weeks!"

"Thanks," Percy said "Now where is the nearest shower?" I chuckled silently to myself.

"You should be grateful, Percy. Your stepfather smells so repulsively human he could mask the presence of any demigod. As soon as I took a whiff inside his Camaro, I knew: Gabe has been covering your scent for years. If you hadn't lived with him every summer, you probably would have been found by monsters a long time ago. Your mom stayed with him to protect you. She was a smart lady. She must have loved you a lot to put up with that guy if that makes you feel any better."

I myself could smelly Percy's mixed feelings. I wonder how much Grover sensed.

I could tell Percy was glad Grover and Annabeth were with him, but I could also see he felt guilty that he had not been straight with them

All of a sudden I smelt anger and bitterness coming from Percy. I knew he must have been thinking about Poseidon for not visiting him, never helping his mom, never even sending a lousy child support check. He had only claimed him because he needed a job done.

I knew that all he cared about was his mom. Hades had taken her unfairly, and Hades was going to give her back I was going to be sure of it!

I was beginning to wonder why they had yet notice me, I guess they are not use to the real world. I am blending in with the mortals and the shadows, plus a little Mist.

The rain kept coming down, if anything it only rained harder.

We all got restless waiting for the bus and Percy and the others decided to play some Hacky Sack with one of Grover's apples. Annabeth would bounce the apple off her knee, her elbow, her shoulder, whatever.

Percy was not too bad himself.

The game ended when Percy tossed the apple towards Grover and it got too close to his mouth. In one mega goat bite, the Hacky Sack disappeared core, stem and all.

Grover blushed. He tried to apologize, but Annabeth and Percy and I were too busy cracking up.

Finally the bus came. As we stood in line to board, Grover started looking around, sniffing the air like he smelled his favorite school cafeteria delicacy, enchiladas. I could smell some monsters, but I could not place it. I began to sense danger, and it began to grow with every passing second. I began looking around, but for the time being I saw nothing.

"What is it?" Percy asked.

"I do not know," he said tensely. "Maybe it is nothing."

But Percy and I could tell it was not nothing. Percy started looking over his shoulder, too. We were relieved when we finally got on board and found seats together in the back of the bus. They stowed our backpacks. Annabeth kept slapping her Yankees cap nervously against her thigh.

As the last passengers got on, Annabeth clamped her hand onto Percy's knee. "Percy."

An old lady had just boarded the bus. She wore a crumpled velvet dress, lace gloves and a shapeless orange knit hat that shadowed her face, and she carried a big paisley purse. When she tilted her head up, her black eyes glittered, and my heart skipped a beat.

It was Mrs. Dodd. Older, more withered, but definitely the same evil face.

Why is it my luck? I guess this was Percy's luck, but still… Can we not have a break?

I saw Percy scrunched down in his seat.

Behind her came two more old ladies: one in a green hat, one in a purple hat. Otherwise they looked exactly like Mrs. Dodd same gnarled hands, paisley handbags, wrinkled velvet dresses.

A triplet demon grandmother is what they looked like.

They sat in the front row, right behind the driver. The two on the aisle crossed their legs over the walk way, making an X. It was casual enough, but it sent a clear message: nobody leaves.

The bus pulled out of the station, and we headed through the slick streets of Manhattan. "She did not stay dead long," Percy said, trying to keep his voice from quivering. "I thought you said they could be dispelled for a lifetime." I smelled fear from him.

"I said if you are _lucky,"_ Annabeth said. "You are obviously not lucky."

"All three of them," Grover whimpered. _"Di immortales!"_

"It is okay." Annabeth said, obviously thinking hard. "The Furies. The three worst monsters from the Underworld. No problem. No problem. We will just slip out the windows."

"They do not open" Grover moaned.

"A back exit?" she suggested.

There was not one. Even if there had been, it would not have helped. By that time, we were on Ninth Avenue, heading for the Lincoln Tunnel.

"They will not attack us with witnesses around?" Percy asked. "Will they?"

"Mortals do not have good eyes," Annabeth reminded me. "Their brains can only process what they see through the Mist."

"They will see three old ladies killing us, right?" He asked nervously.

She thought about it. "Hard to say. But we can't count on mortals for help. Maybe an emergency exit in the roof…?"

We hit the Lincoln Tunnel, and the bus went dark except for the running lights down the aisle but I could see as though it was midday. It was eerily quiet without the sound of the rain.

Mrs. Dodd got up. In a flat voice, as if she had rehearsed it, she announced to the whole bus: "I need to use the restroom."

"So do I."' said the second sister.

'So do I." said the third sister.

They all started coming down the aisle.

"I've got it!"' Annabeth said. "Percy, take my hat!"

"What?" Percy asked.

"You are the one they want. Turn invisible and go up the aisle. Let them pass you. Maybe you can get to the front and get away."

"But you guys…" Percy tried to think about his friends. I knew he was not like most males. Well more like most BEINGS! He cared for others more than his very life.

"There is an outside chance they might not notice us," Annabeth said. "You are a son of one of the Big Three. Your smell might be overpowering."

Percy said "I can't just leave you!" Like I said Percy and I are the last of a dying breed.

"Do not worry about us," Grover said. "Go!"

His hands trembled. he took the Yankees cap and put it on. He turned invisible, but I could still sense him, by the water in his body, by the air that he breathes, and by the hope he carries (Hestia's gift).

He started creeping up the aisle.

He managed to get up ten rows, then duck into an empty seat just as the Furies walked past.

Mrs. Dodd stopped, sniffing, and looked straight at him. My heart was pounding.

Apparently she did not see anything.

She and her sisters kept going.

Percy was free. He made it to the front of the bus. We were almost through the Lincoln Tunnel now.

I heard hideous wailing from the back row.

The old ladies were not old ladies any more. Their faces were still the same I guess those could not get much worse than before but their bodies had shriveled into leathery brown hag bodies with bat's wings and hands and feet like gargoyle claws.

Their handbags had turned into fiery whips.

The Furies surrounded Grover and Annabeth, lashing their whips, hissing: "Where is it? Where?"

The other people on the bus were screaming, cowering in their seats. They saw _something,_ all right. What they saw? I could not tell you, but based on their reaction it was not pleasant.

"He is not here!" Annabeth yelled. "He is gone!"

The Furies raised their whips.

That was when I chose to reveal myself.

I pulled out my chain and I snapped it at them, it wrapped around the middle one's neck. I jerked it full force. I literally ripped her head off.

Annabeth, Grover and the remaining Furies were too stunned to do anything but stare at me. I swung the chain above my head once and brought it down, the Fury dodged it, and she snapped her own whip.

The whip caught me in the face. I did not feel the fire. I felt my blood run down my face.

I said with my voice full of venom and anger "Percy and I have not the Bolt nor do we have any other godly weapon. I give you my word."

She lunged at me; just then Percy did something stupid.

The bus driver was still being distracted, trying to see what was going on in his rearview mirror. Percy still invisible, he grabbed the wheel from him and jerked it to the left. Everybody howled as they were thrown to the right the remaining Furies smashing against the windows.

"Hey!" the driver yelled. "Hey whoa!"

Percy wrestled the driver for the wheel. The bus slammed against the side of the tunnel, grinding metal, throwing sparks a mile behind us.

We careened out of the Lincoln Tunnel and back into the rainstorm, people and monsters tossed around the bus, cars ploughed aside like bowling pins.

Somehow the driver or Percy found an exit.

We shot off the highway, through half a dozen traffic lights, and ended up barreling down one of those New Jersey rural roads where you can't believe there is so much nothing right across the river from New York.

There were woods to our left, the Hudson River to our right and the driver seemed to be veering towards the river.

Another great idea Percy had (please note the sarcasm!): He hit the emergency brake.

The bus wailed, spun a full circle on the wet tar and crashed into the trees. The emergency lights came on. The door flew open. The bus driver was the first one out, the passengers yelling as they stampeded after him.

When the Furies were distracted I pulled my silver dagger and slit one of the remain Furies' throat

I grabbed the last one by her neck and snarled in her ear "Tell Hades that Percy and I are innocent. Tell him the Wanderer has returned." I releashed her, but Percy was behind her with Riptide. I gave him a nod.

Percy said "I liked you better as a math teacher!" He then shouted in Latin _"Braccas meas vescimini!"_ Why did he yell "Eat my pants!" we will never know.

My danger sense spiked as I heard thunder overhead.

Thunder shook the bus.

The hair rose on the back of my neck.

I shouted at them "Get out! Now!" they did not need any encouragement.

We rushed outside and found the other passengers wandering around in a daze, arguing with the driver, or running around in circles yelling, "We are all going to die!"

A Hawaiian shirted tourist with a camera snapped Percy's photograph before he could recap his sword.

"Our bags!" Grover realized. "We left our"

 _ **BOOOOOM**_ _!_

The windows of the bus exploded as the passengers ran for cover. Lightning shredded a huge crater in the roof.

Annabeth said "We have to get out of here!"

We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us and nothing but darkness ahead.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is another chapter, like I said. The quest will be slightly altered as will some of the monsters and scenes.**

 **However I will try to keep them in character and within canon if I can.**

 **I also think maybe Peter is a little too powerful right now. I normal do not say that, do you think I should try restricting his powers and abilities a little more?**

 **Do you want Peter to have a more pronounced roll in the upcoming chapters, or should he be more like Nico in "The Mark of** **Athena" how he did not say or do much, pretty much stood in the shadows.**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me.**

 **Death Fury out!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer I do not and will not ever own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **I would like to thank everyone who has left a review in the story so far and to those who has favorited and followed me and or this story.**

 **Chapter 8**

 **The story continues...**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

We plunged into the woods as the rain poured down, the bus in flames behind us and nothing but darkness ahead.

The rain healed my facial wound, though I still felt it. But I doubt it will leave a large scar.

I stayed at the back of the group to be make sure there was no more danger.

 **(Line Break)  
(Percy's Point of View)**

In a way, it's nice to know there are Greek gods out there, because you have somebody to blame when things go wrong. For instance, when you are walking away from a bus that's just been attacked by monster hags and blown up by lightning, and it's raining on top of everything else, most people might think that's just really bad luck; when you are a half blood, you understand that some divine force really is trying to mess up your day.

So there we were, Annabeth, Grover, Peter and I, walking through the woods on the New Jersey riverbank, the glow of New York City making the night sky yellow behind us and the smell of the Hudson reeking in our noses.

Grover was shivering and braying, his big goat eyes turned slit pupil and full of terror. "Three Kindly Ones. All three at once." He kept muttering to himself

I was pretty much in shock myself. The explosion of bus windows still rang in my ears. But Annabeth kept pulling Grover and I along, saying: "Come on! The further away we get the better."

"All our money was back there," I reminded her. "Our food and clothes. Everything."

Peter calmly said "I have the money part taken care of, remember, legacy of Hades? Lord of the dead AND _**riches**_?"

I ignored Peter. All I wanted to know what Annabeth wanted me to do. I asked her "What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"You did not need to protect me, Percy. I would have been fine!" She practically shouted at me.

Peter sighed and rolled his eyes and said "I am when you two stop flirting Iris Message me." He faded in the darkness.

"Sliced like sandwich bread," Grover put in, "but fine."

"Shut up, goat boy!" said Annabeth with irritation.

Grover brayed mournfully. "Tin cans… a perfectly good bag of tin cans."

We sloshed across mushy ground, through nasty twisted trees that smelled like sour laundry.

After a few minutes, Annabeth fell into line next to me. "Look, I…" Her voice faltered. "I appreciate your coming back for us, okay? That was really brave."

I replied with a smile "We _are_ a team, right?"

She was silent for a few more steps. "It is just that if you died… aside from the fact that it would really suck for you, it would mean the quest was over. This may be my only chance to see the real world."

The thunderstorm had finally let up. The city glow faded behind us, leaving us in almost total darkness. I could not see anything of Annabeth except a glint of her blonde hair.

"You have not left Camp Half Blood since you were seven?" I asked her.

"No… only short field trips. My dad-" She began, but I cut her off-

"The history professor right? I asked.

"Yeah, it did not work out for me living at home. I mean, Camp Half Blood _is_ my home." She was rushing her words out now, as if she were afraid somebody might try to stop her. "At camp you train and train. And that's all cool and everything, but the real world is where the monsters are. That is where you learn whether you are any good or not."

If I did not know better, I could have sworn I heard doubt in her voice.

From what I saw you are pretty good with that knife,' I said.

She asked "You think so?" with a little hope in her eyes.

"Anybody who can piggyback ride a Fury is okay by _me!" I said with a grin._ I could not really see, but I thought she might have smiled.

"You know," she said, "maybe I should tell you… Something funny back on the bus…"

Whatever she wanted to say was interrupted by a shrill _toot˜ toot ˜toot,_ like the sound of an owl being tortured.

"Hey, my reed pipes still work!" Grover cried. "If I could just remember a "find path" song, we could get out of these woods!"

He puffed out a few notes, but the tune still sounded suspiciously like Hilary Duff. Instead of finding a path, I immediately slammed into a tree and got a nice size knot on my head.

Add to the list of superpowers I did _not_ have: infrared vision.

After tripping and cursing and generally feeling miserable for another mile or so, I started to see light up ahead: the colors of a neon sign.

I could smell food; fried, greasy, excellent food.

I then realized I had not eaten anything unhealthy since I had arrived at Half Blood Hill, where we lived on grapes, bread, cheese and extra lean cut nymph prepared barbecue. This boy needed a double cheeseburger!

We kept walking until I saw a deserted two lane road through the trees. On the other side was a closed down gas station, a tattered billboard for a 1990s movie and one open business, which was the source of the neon light and the good smell.

It was not a fast-food restaurant like I had hoped. It was one of those weird roadside curio shops that sell lawn flamingos and wooden Indians and cement grizzly bears and stuff like that. The main building was a long, low warehouse, surrounded by acres of statuary. The neon sign above the gate was impossible for me to read, because if there's anything worse for my dyslexia than regular

English, it is red cursive neon English.

To me, it looked like: _ATNYU MES GDERAN GOMEN MEPROIUM_.

"What the heck does that say?" I asked.

"I could not tell you, even if I wanted." Annabeth said.

She loved reading so much. I had almost forgotten she was dyslexic, too.

Peter appeared behind us and said: "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." We all jumped at the sudden sound, Peter stood behind us leaning on a tree with his hands in his pocket with a smirk on his face.

I thought _'Why can he read and Annabeth and I can't? That is no fair!'_

Flanking the entrance, as advertised, were two cement garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken.

I crossed the street, following the smell of the hamburgers.

"Hey… guys…" Grover warned.

Peter gave a growl and said "I have a _**bad**_ feeling about this…"

"The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it is open?"

"Snack bar." I said wistfully.

"Snack bar." she agreed.

"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird!"

Peter agreed with him and said "I smell something other than food… I smelt it before…"

We ignored them.

The front garden was a forest of statues: cement animals, cement children, even a cement satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.

"Bla- ha- ha!" he bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"

We stopped at the warehouse door.

"Please do not knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."

"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him. "All I smell is burgers. Are you hungry or not?"

"Meat!?" he said scornfully. "I am a vegetarian!"

"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him.

"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are… looking at me." He said shivering with the creeps.

Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a tall Middle Eastern woman at least, I assumed she was Middle Eastern, because she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her eyes glinted behind a curtain of black gauze, but that was about all I could make out. Her coffee colored hands looked old, but well manicured and elegant, so I imagined she was a grandmother who had once been a beautiful lady.

Her accent sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, too. She said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"They are… um…" Annabeth started to say.

Peter and I said at the same time "They are dead"

"We are orphans." I said.

I looked at him, but he looked at the ground as if he was about to cry. Great minds think alike.

"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got-" I began.

But Peter cut me off and said "We were just in a bus wreck, my Aunt was killed. She told us to run for it. So we ran."

I was going to say "from our caravan," but I am glad Peter came up with the lie so easily it sound so true I almost believed.

I continued "Anyway, we are lost. Is that food I smell?"

"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

We thanked her and went inside.

Annabeth muttered to Peter, "Where did you get the idea from?"

Peter gave her a glare, but there was no heat in it, nor was it cold. He gave a tired and sad sigh and said "I may as well be an orphan." He put his hoodie up and lowered his gaze to the floor, the shadows hiding his face from view.

Annabeth gave him a sad smile, but looked unsure of what to do. She sat down and looked away from him.

The warehouse was filled with more statues; people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits and with different expressions on their faces. I was thinking you would have to have a pretty huge garden to fit even one of these statues, because they were all life size.

But mostly I was thinking about food.

Go ahead and call me an idiot for walking into a strange lady's shop like that just because I was hungry, but I do impulsive stuff sometimes.

Plus, you have never smelled Aunty Em's burgers. The aroma was like laughing gas in the dentist's chair it made everything else go away.

I barely noticed Grover's nervous whimpers, or the way the statues' eyes seemed to follow me, or the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.

Peter reached up and touched the silver chain necklace around his neck, as if making sure it was there. I was unsure if he had it for a long time or not. He noticed me looking and he hid it under his trench coat.

All I cared about was finding the dining area. And, sure enough, there it was at the back of the warehouse, a fast food counter with a grill, a soda fountain, a pretzel heater and a nacho cheese dispenser.

Everything you could want, plus a few steel picnic tables out front.

"Please, sit down." Aunty Em said with a warm inviting smile.

"Awesome!" I said.

"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we do not have any money, ma'am."

Before I could jab him in the ribs, or tell him Peter had some sort of money on him.

Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."

"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.

Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done something wrong, but then the old woman relaxed just as quickly, so I figured it must have been my imagination.

Peter raised his head, but I could not make out his face, but I could see the end of his nose and his mouth and chin. The temperature in the room dropped so I was pretty sure he was glaring at Aunty Em.

"Quite all right, Annabeth dear," she said. "You have such beautiful grey eyes, child."

Only later did I wonder how she knew Annabeth's name, even though we had never introduced ourselves.

Our hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she had brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes and XXL servings of French fries.

I was halfway through my burger before I remembered to breathe.

Annabeth slurped her shake.

Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.

Peter never sat down, he went to tie his boot, but instead he reached into his boot and pulled something out, but he hid it from view, but it caught the moonlight and it reflected it for a spit second, before he slid it up his sleeve. I guess he literally had something up his sleeve now.

"What is that hissing noise?" Grover asked.

I listened, but I did not hear anything.

Annabeth shook her head.

However Peter gave him a nod. He looked around his eyes looking throughout the whole room, but his gaze fell on Aunty Em.

"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."

"I take vitamins for my ears." He replied.

"That is admirable," she said. "But please, relax."

Both Peter and Aunty Em had nothing to eat.

She had not taken off her headdress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched us eat.

It was a little unsettling, having someone stare at me when I could not see her face, but I was feeling satisfied after the burger, and a little sleepy, and I figured the least I could do was try to make small talk with our hostess.

"So, you sell gnomes," I said, trying to sound interested.

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."

"A lot of business on this road?" I asked

"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built… most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get." She said.

My neck tingled, as if somebody else was looking at me. I turned, but it was just a statue of a young girl holding an Easter basket. The detail was incredible, much better than you see in most garden statues. But something was wrong with her face. It looked as if she were startled, or even terrified.

"Ah," Aunty Em said sadly. "You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

"You make these statues yourself?" I asked.

She replied "Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company."

The sadness in her voice sounded so deep and so real that I could not help feeling sorry for her.

Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and she asked, "Two sisters?"

"It is a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, really. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a… a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."

I was not sure what she meant, but I felt bad for her. My eyelids kept getting heavier, my full stomach making me sleepy. Poor old lady. Who would want to hurt somebody so nice?

"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get my attention. "Maybe we should go."

She sounded tense. I was not sure why.

Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she did not say anything.

"Such beautiful grey eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I have seen grey eyes like those."

She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.

"We really should go." Annabeth said I saw fear in her grey eyes.

"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up.

I did not want to leave. I felt full and content. Aunty Em was so nice. I wanted to stay with her a while.

Peter stopped leaning against the wall and said "Annabeth is right, there is a safe house about five miles from here. We need to leave. Now." He stood up and walked behind Annabeth, and placed a hand on each shoulder. Annabeth seemed to relax into it.

"Please, dears," Aunty Em pleaded to us. "I so rarely get to be with children. Before you go, can you at least sit for a pose?"

"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.

"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children."

Peter snorted.

Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I do not think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy-"

"Sure we can!" I said. I was irritated with Annabeth for being so bossy, so rude to an old lady who had just fed us for free. "It is just a photo, Annabeth. What is the harm?"

Peter said glaring at me "No, we cannot have our picture taken. We are under a witness protection order. We have no electrics on us. We thought about hiding in plain sight, but look at what that caused. We have to keep moving."

"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm. No one will ever find out you picture has been taken Peter."

I could tell Annabeth and Peter did not like it, but she allowed Aunty Em to lead us back out the front door, into the garden of statues.

Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I will just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on both sides of her, and the guardian in the background."

"Not much light for a photo." I remarked.

"Oh, it is enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"

"Where is your camera?" Grover asked.

Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"

Peter said "I do not smile all that often."

Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."

"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."

She still had no camera in her hands.

"Percy…" Annabeth said.

Some instinct warned me to listen to Annabeth, but I was fighting the sleepy feeling, the comfortable lull that came from the food and the old lady's voice.

"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil…"

"Percy, something is wrong," Annabeth insisted.

"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"

"That _is_ Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.

Peter shouted "Medusa!"

"Look away from her!" Annabeth shouted. She whipped her Yankees cap on to her head and vanished. Her invisible hands pushed Grover and me both off the bench.

I was on the ground, looking at Aunt Em's sandaled feet.

I could hear Grover scrambling off in one direction, Annabeth in another. But I was too dazed to move.

Then I heard a strange, rasping sound above me. My eyes rose to Aunty Em's hands, which had turned gnarled and warty, with sharp bronze talons for fingernails.

I almost looked higher, but somewhere off to my left Annabeth screamed, "No! Don't!"

More rasping the sound of tiny snakes, right above me, from… from about where Aunty Em's head would be.

"Run!" Grover bleated. I heard him racing across the gravel, yelling, " _Maia!"_ to kick start his flying sneakers.

I could not move. I stared at Aunty Em's gnarled claws, and tried to fight the groggy trance the old woman had put me in.

"Such a pity to destroy a handsome young face," she told me soothingly. "Stay with me, Percy. All you have to do is look up."

I fought the urge to obey. Instead I looked to one side and saw one of those glass spheres people put in gardens a gazing ball. I could see Aunty Em's dark reflection in the orange glass; her headdress was gone, revealing her face as a shimmering pale circle. Her hair was moving, writhing like serpents.

Aunty Em.

Aunty 'M'.

How could I have been so stupid?

Think, I told myself. How did Medusa die in the myth?

But I could not think. Something told me that in the myth Medusa had been asleep when she was attacked by my namesake, Perseus.

She was not anywhere near asleep now. If she wanted, she could take those talons right now and rake open my face.

"The Grey Eyed One did this to me, Percy," Medusa said, and she did not sound anything like a monster. Her voice invited me to look up, to sympathize with a poor old grandmother. "Annabeth's mother, the cursed Athena, turned me from a beautiful woman into this."

"Do not listen to her!" Annabeth's voice shouted, somewhere in the statuary. "Run, Percy!"

"Silence!" Medusa snarled. Then her voice modulated back to a comforting purr. "You see why I must destroy the girl, Percy. She is my enemy's daughter. I shall crush her statue to dust. But you, dear

Percy, you need not suffer."

"No," I muttered. I tried to make my legs move.

"Do you really want to help the gods?" Medusa asked. "Do you understand what awaits you on this foolish quest, Percy? What will happen if you reach the Underworld? Do not be a pawn of the

Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue, less pain. Much less pain."

"Percy!" Behind me, I heard a buzzing sound, like a two hundred pound hummingbird in a nosedive.

Grover yelled, "Duck!"

I turned, and there he was in the night sky, flying in from twelve o'clock with his winged shoes fluttering Grover, holding a tree branch the size of a baseball bat. His eyes were shut tight, his head twitched from side to side. He was navigating by ears and nose alone.

"Duck!" he yelled again. 'I will get her!"

That finally jolted me into action. Knowing Grover, I was sure he would miss Medusa and nail me.

I dove to one side.

 _Thwack!_

At first I figured it was the sound of Grover hitting a tree. Then Medusa roared with rage.

"You miserable satyr," she snarled. "I will add you to my collection!"

"That was for Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover yelled back.

I scrambled away and hid in the statuary while Grover swooped down for another pass.

 _Ker whack!_

"Arrgh!" Medusa yelled, her snake hair hissing and spitting.

Right next to me, Annabeth's voice said, "Percy!"

I jumped so high my feet nearly cleared a garden gnome. "Jeez! Do not do that!"

Annabeth took off her Yankees cap and became visible. "You have to cut her head off."

"What? Are you crazy? Let's get out of here." I told her.

"Medusa is a menace. She is evil. I would kill her myself, but…" Annabeth swallowed, as if she were about to make a difficult admission. 'But you've got the better weapon. Besides, I could never get close to her. She'd slice me to bits because of my mother. You however you have a good chance."

"Why can't Peter?" I whined.

Annabeth said "Look I do not know where Peter is, but do you want her turning more innocent people into statues?"

She pointed to a pair of statue lovers, a man and a woman with their arms around each other, turned to stone by the monster.

Annabeth grabbed a green gazing ball from a nearby pedestal. "A polished shield would be better."

She studied the sphere critically. "The convexity will cause some distortion. The reflection's size should be off by a factor of-"

I cut her off "Would you please speak English?!"

"I _am!_ " She tossed me the glass ball. "Just look at her in the glass. _Never_ look at her directly."

"Hey, guys!" Grover yelled somewhere above us. "I think she is unconscious!"

' _Roooaaarrr!'_

Peter said "Guess not."

"Maybe not." Grover corrected. He went in for another pass with the tree branch.

"Hurry," Annabeth told me. 'Grover has got a great nose, but he will eventually crash."

I took out my pen and uncapped it. The bronze blade of Riptide elongated in my hand.

I followed the hissing and spitting sounds of Medusa's hair.

I kept my eyes locked on the gazing ball so I would only glimpse Medusa's reflection, not the real thing. Then, in the green tinted glass, I saw her.

Grover was coming in for another turn at bat, but this time he flew a little too low. Medusa grabbed the stick and pulled him off course. He tumbled through the air and crashed into the arms of a stone

grizzly bear with a painful "Ummphh!"

Medusa was about to lunge at him when I yelled, "Hey!"

I advanced on her, which was not easy, holding a sword and a glass ball. If she charged, I would have a hard time defending myself.

But she let me approach ten meters, five meters.

I could see the reflection of her face now. Surely it was not really _that_ ugly. The green swirls of the gazing ball must be distorting it, making it look worse.

"You would not harm an old woman, Percy," she crooned. "I know you could not."

I hesitated, fascinated by the face I saw reflected in the glass the eyes that seemed to burn straight through the green tint, making my arms go weak.

From the cement grizzly, Grover moaned, "Percy, do not listen to her!"

Medusa cackled. "Too late."

She lunged at me with her talons.

I slashed up with my sword, heard a sickening _shlock!_ , then a hiss like wind rushing out of a cavern the sound of a monster disintegrating.

Something fell to the ground next to my foot. It took all my willpower not to look.

I could feel warm ooze soaking into my sock, little dying snake heads tugging at my shoelaces.

"Oh, yuck," Grover said. His eyes were still tightly closed, but I guess he could hear the thing gurgling and steaming. "Mega yuck."

Annabeth came up next to me, her eyes fixed on the sky. She was holding Medusa's black veil. She said, "Do not move."

Very, very carefully, without looking down, she knelt and draped the monster's head in black cloth, then picked it up. It was still dripping green juice.

"Are you okay?" she asked me, her voice trembling.

"Yeah, I am fine" I decided, though I felt like throwing up my double cheeseburger. "Why didn't… why didn't the head evaporate?"

"Once you sever it, it becomes a spoil of war," she said. "Same as your Minotaur horn. But do not unwrap the head. It can still petrify you."

I asked "Where is Peter?"

Grover then moaned as he climbed down from the grizzly statue. He had a big welt on his forehead. His green Rasta cap hung from one of his little goat horns, and his fake feet had been knocked off his hooves.

The magic sneakers were flying aimlessly around his head.

"The Red Baron," I said. "Good job, man."

He managed a bashful grin. "That really was _not_ fun, though. Well, the hitting her with a stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? _Not_ fun."

Peter chuckled. We did not even jump, we look at him and he was covered in yellow dust and green blood. No one wanted to know.

Grover snatched his shoes out of the air. I recapped my sword. Together, the three of us stumbled back to the warehouse.

We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double wrapped Medusa's head.

We plopped it on the table where we had eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.

Finally I said, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"

Annabeth flashed me an irritated look. "Your dad, actually, do you not remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That's why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That's why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She's still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."

Peter growled that made facing Medusa like a walk in the park. Peter said "True Medusa and Poseidon was a couple, but it was because Zeus raped Medusa in Athena's temple. Medusa cried and called for help, but none came. Your mother cursed because she was jealous of her. She found a reason enough to curse her, she was no longer a virgin and it was lost in her temple, while Medusa was on duty."

Annabeth frowned and said "That was not what I learned."

Peter chuckled darkly and said "History is decided by the victors, those who came out on top chose how the story is to be told. Zeus has always been like that, women he can't get willingly, he forces."

I stared at the thing. One little snake was hanging out of a hole in the plastic. The words printed on the side of the bag said:

WE APPRECIATE YOUR BUSINESS!

I was angry, not just with Annabeth or her mom, but with all the gods for this whole quest, for getting us blown off the road and in two major fights the very first day out from camp. At this rate, we would never make it to L.A. alive, much less before the summer solstice.

What had Medusa said?

 _Do not be a pawn of the Olympians, my dear. You would be better off as a statue_.

I got up and said "I will be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you doing?"

I searched the back of the warehouse until I found Medusa's office. Her account book showed her six most recent sales, all shipments to the Underworld to decorate Hades and Persephone's garden.

According to one freight bill, the Underworld's billing address was DOA Recording Studios, West Hollywood, California. I folded up the bill and stuffed it in my pocket.

In the cash register I found a few twenty dollars, a few golden drachmas and some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins. I rummaged around the rest of the office until I found the right size box.

I went back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:

 _The Gods_

 _Mount Olympus_

 _600th Floor,_

 _Empire State Building_

 _New York, NY_

 _With best wishes,_

 _PERCY JACKSON_

"They are not going to like that," Grover warned. "They will think you are impertinent."

I poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as I closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a _pop!_

"I _am_ impertinent!" I said. Peter and I shared a fist bump.

I looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.

She did not. She seemed resigned to the fact that I had a major talent for ticking off the gods. "Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."

Peter chuckled and said "I don't suppose you have one, child of Wisdom?"

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

Annabeth, Grover and I were pretty miserable that night, but Peter seemed not bothered about it. We camped out in the woods, a hundred meters from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties. The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast food wrappers.

We had taken some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but we did not dare light a fire to dry our damp clothes. The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. We did not want to attract anything else.

However, Peter dried us off by controlling the water, pulling it out of our clothes, but we were still cold, except for Peter, he seemed immune to the cold, I was a little jealous.

We decided to sleep in shifts. I volunteered to take first watch, but Peter told me he would.

Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground. Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the lowest bough of a tree, put his back to the trunk, and stared at the night sky.

"Go ahead and sleep," Peter told him. "I will wake you if there is trouble."

He nodded, but still did not close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Peter."

Peter sighed and said "I know what you mean, where I grew up and where I went. Nature was about as pure as it could be. When I went to Alaska; that is truly the last frontier in the world. Nature is still wild and almost pure. The sky is full of stars, it is utterly beautiful.

Grover said "This is a terrible time to be a satyr."

I leaned up and said "Oh, yeah. I guess you would be an environmentalist."

He glared at me. "Only a human would not be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast… ah, never mind. It's useless to lecture a human. At the rate things are going, I will never find Pan."

"Pam? Like the cooking spray?" I asked

"Pan!" he cried indignantly. "P -A- N. The great god Pan! What do you think I want a searcher's license for?"

A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rainwater, things that might've once been in these woods. Suddenly I was nostalgic for something I had never known.

"Please tell me about the search," I said.

I noticed that Peter disappeared again. I guess I am taking the first shift after all, not that I minded.

Grover looked at me cautiously, as if he were afraid I was just making fun. He took a breath and said "The God of Wild Places disappeared two thousand years ago," he told me. "A sailor off the coast of Ephesus heard a mysterious voice crying out from the shore, "Tell them that the great god Pan has died!" When humans heard the news, they believed it. They have been pillaging Pan's kingdom ever since. But for the satyrs, Pan was our lord and master. He protected us and the wild places of the earth. We refuse to believe that he died. In every generation, the bravest satyrs pledge their lives to finding Pan. They search the earth, exploring all the wildest places, hoping to find where he is hidden and wake him from his sleep."

"And you want to be a searcher." I deduced.

"It is my life's dream," he said. "My father was a searcher. And my Uncle Ferdinand… the statue you saw back there…"

"Oh, right, sorry." I apologized.

Grover shook his head. "Uncle Ferdinand knew the risks. So did my dad. But I will succeed. I will be the first searcher to return alive."

"Hang on _the first?!"_ I half asked and half yelled. I was concerned for my friend.

Grover took his reed pipes out of his pocket. "No searcher has ever come back. Once they set out, they disappear. They are never seen alive again."

"Not once in two thousand years?" I asked trying to get confirmation I was hearing it correctly.

Grover said flatly "No."

"And your dad? You have no idea what happened to him?" I asked.

His reply was one word "None."

"But you still want to go." I said, amazed. "I mean, you really think you will be the one to find Pan?"

"I have to believe that, Percy. Every searcher does. It is the only thing that keeps us from despair when we look at what humans have done to the world. I have to believe Pan can still be awakened."

I stared at the orange haze of the sky and tried to understand how Grover could pursue a dream that seemed so hopeless. Then again, was I any better?

"How are we going to get into the Underworld?" I asked him. "I mean, what chance do we have against a god?"

"I do not know," he admitted. "But back at Medusa's, when you were searching her office? Annabeth was telling me-"

"Oh, I forgot. Annabeth will have a plan all figured out." I snapped.

"Do not be so hard on her, Percy. She has had a tough life, but she is a good person. After all, she forgave me…" His voice faltered.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "Forgave you for what?"

Suddenly, Grover seemed very interested in playing notes on his pipes.

"Wait a minute," I said. "Your first keeper job was five years ago. Annabeth has been at camp five years. She was not… I mean, your first assignment that went wrong…"

"I can't talk about it," Grover said, and his quivering lower lip suggested he would start crying if I pressed him. "But as I was saying, back at Medusas, Annabeth and I agreed there is something strange going on with this quest. Something is not what it seems."

"Well, no duh. I am getting blamed for stealing a thunderbolt that Hades took!" I said, but Peter's words wrung in the back of my mind of how maybe Hades was not the one to blame…

"That is not what I mean," Grover said. "The Fu- The Kindly Ones were sort of holding back. Like Mrs. Dodd at Yancy Academy… why did she wait so long to try to kill you? Then on the bus, they just were not as aggressive as they could have been."

I muttered "They seemed plenty aggressive to me!"

Grover shook his head. "They were screeching at us: 'Where is it? Where?"'

"Asking about me," I said.

"Maybe… but Annabeth and I, we both got the feeling they were not asking about a person. They said 'Where is _it?'_ They seemed to be asking about an object."

I told him "That does not make any sense."

"I know. But if we have misunderstood something about this quest, and we only have nine days to find the master bolt…" He looked at me like he was hoping for answers, but I did not have any.

I thought about what Medusa had said: I was being used by the gods. What lay ahead of me was worse than petrifaction. "I have not been straight with you," I told Grover. 'I do not care about the master bolt. I agreed to go to the Underworld so I could bring back my mother."

Grover blew a soft note on his pipes. "I know that, Percy. But are you sure that _is_ the only reason?"

"I am not doing it to help my father. He does not care about me. I do not care about him!" Though I knew deep down that I did care.

Grover gazed down from his tree branch. "Look, Percy, I am not as smart as Annabeth. I am not as brave as you. I can't even compare myself to Peter. But I am pretty good at reading emotions. You are glad your dad is alive. You feel good that he has claimed you, and part of you wants to make him proud. That is why you mailed Medusa's head to Olympus. You wanted him to notice what you had done."

"Yeah? Well maybe satyr emotions work differently than human emotions, because you are wrong. I do not care what he thinks!" I knew now that I was lying.

Grover pulled his feet up onto the branch. "Okay, Percy. Whatever."

"Besides, I have not done anything worth bragging about. We barely got out of New York and we are stuck here with no money and no way west."

Grover looked at the night sky, like he was thinking about that problem. "How about _I_ take first watch, huh? You get some sleep."

I wanted to protest, but he started to play Mozart, soft and sweet, and I turned away, my eyes stinging. After a few bars of Piano Concerto no. 12, I was asleep.

In my dreams, I stood in a dark cavern before a gaping pit. Grey mist creatures churned all around me, whispering rags of smoke that I somehow knew were the spirits of the dead.

They tugged at my clothes, trying to pull me back, but I felt compelled to walk forward to the very edge of the chasm.

Looking down made me dizzy.

The pit yawned so wide and was so completely black, I knew it must be bottomless.

Yet I had a feeling that something was trying to rise from the abyss, something huge and evil.

' _The little hero,'_ an amused voice echoed far down in the darkness. ' _Too weak, too young, but perhaps you will do.'_

The voice felt ancient, cold and heavy. It wrapped around me like sheets of lead.

' _They have misled you, boy,'_ it said. ' _Barter with me. I will give you what you want.'_

A shimmering image hovered over the void: my mother, frozen at the moment she had been dissolved in a shower of gold. Her face was distorted with pain, as if the Minotaur were still squeezing her neck.

Her eyes looked directly at me, pleading: _Go!_

I tried to cry out, but my voice would not work.

Cold laughter echoed from the chasm.

An invisible force pulled me forward. It would drag me into the pit unless I stood firm.

' _Help me rise, boy.'_ The voice became hungrier. ' _Bring me the bolt. Strike a blow against the treacherous gods!'_

The spirits of the dead whispered around me, ' _No! Wake!'_

The image of my mother began to fade. The thing in the pit tightened its unseen grip around me.

I realized it was not interested in pulling me in. It was using me to pull itself _out_

' _Good,'_ it murmured. ' _Good.'_

' _Wake!'_ the dead whispered. ' _Wake!'_

Someone was shaking me.

My eyes opened, and it was daylight.

"Well," Annabeth said, "the zombie lives."

I was trembling from the dream. I could still feel the grip of the chasm monster around my chest. I asked "How long was I asleep?"

"Long enough for me to cook breakfast." Annabeth tossed me a bag of nacho flavored corn chips.

Peter walked into the clearing carrying a back pack. I could smell freshly baked good.

Peter said "Actually I think we should save the snacks for later. I bought us some fresh muffins, donuts and some fresh fruit."

He tossed Grover an apple; he ate like the one we were play hacky sack with. I smiled at the memory, it seemed so long ago.

He made sure Annabeth, and I got plenty of food. Grover well, he was Grover and ate.

I noticed Peter had several scratches on his face, they were faint, but I could tell they were there.

I then noticed Grover was sitting cross legged on a blanket with something fuzzy in his lap, a dirty, unnaturally pink stuffed animal.

No.

It was not a stuffed animal.

It was a pink poodle.

The poodle yapped at me suspiciously.

Grover said, "No, he is not."

I blinked. Confused "Are you… talking to that thing?"

The poodle growled.

"This _thing_ ," Grover warned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."

"You can talk to animals?" I asked confused.

Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."

I stared at Annabeth, figuring she would crack up at this practical joke they were playing on me, but she looked deadly serious.

"I am not saying hello to a pink poodle," I said. "Forget it."

"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."

The poodle growled.

I said hello to the poodle.

Grover explained that he had come across Gladiola in the woods and they had struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who had posted a $200 reward for his return.

Gladiola did not really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.

"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I asked.

"He read the signs, duh" Grover said as if it was a no brainer.

"Of course," I said. "Silly me."

"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."

I thought about my dream the whispering voices of the dead, the thing in the chasm and my mother's face, shimmering as it dissolved into gold.

All that might be waiting for me in the West.

"Not another bus," I said warily.

"No," Annabeth agreed. She pointed downhill, towards train tracks I had not been able to see last night in the dark. "There is an AM Track station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon."

I said "Wait! Did Peter say hello?"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "I spoke to her as well. She does not like being treated as a baby or like she is fragile."

I shook my head and said "Whatever! Whatever!" I don't care I wish I had my mother, I wish we were home. I wish I was not a demigod! I just wanted my mother back and for us to be safe together.

 **(Line Break)  
(Peter's Point of View)  
(Flash Back)**

After the bus exploded and after Annabeth led the group towards safety. Percy and Annabeth began to bicker. I told them to stop, but they seemed to ignore me. To be honest, I was not too concerned about them bickering, I knew they would work together, at least Percy would.

They were blaming each other for not having any money I told them as calmly as I could I have the money part taken care of, remember, legacy of Hades? Lord of the dead AND _**riches**_?"

They both ignored me, Percy said to Annabeth "What did you want me to do? Let you get killed?"

"You did not need to protect me, Percy. I would have been fine!" She practically shouted at Percy.

I sighed and rolled my eyes as I said "I am when you two stop flirting Iris Message me." After that I faded in the darkness. I shadow traveled away.

I appeared a few hundred yards away. I thought I sensed something tracking us from the shadows, and I was right. I saw few Hell Hounds, and couple lizard ladies.

I cleared my throat and said to them "Looking for something?"

I had six pairs of eyes on me. One of the Hell Hounds growled at me, and the rest began to circle me.

I stood tall and said in a commanding voice _**"DOWN!"**_ The Hell Hounds immediately laid down. My black skull ring felt warm, it seemed to oozed dark powers. I knew it was Tartarus's ring.

I am the rightful heir of the Pit.

I am Prince of the Underworld.

 **The** Empousai were cowering at my presence! I stomped my foot and I opened a sinkhole straight to the Pit and I said "Be gone!" The Empousai were more than eager to obey my command. The Hell Hounds stayed lying down. I turned to them and said "I will let you live for the time being if you do me a service." The one who growled at me first whimpered and said " _Anything_ …" I gave him a nod and said "Keep the rest of the monsters away from Aunty Ems for the next twelve hours, and I _might_ let you live."+ He bowed and then leapt into a shadow, the rest followed suit. I frowned I was hoping for a fight, oh well. At least the danger here has been taken care of. I was just about to leave when my spider sense went off. I caught a black arrow. I looked at the direction it was shot. I for once did not sense anything… I gave a frustrated growl, before I shadow traveled back to the group.

I got back just in time to here Percy ask ""What the heck does that say?"

I was going to speak, but Annabeth said "I could not tell you, even if I wanted."

I wish Annabeth would get her pride under control, it was going to kill her one of these days!

I shook my head and said "Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium." They all jumped at the sudden sound, I stood behind them leaning on a tree with my hands in my pocket with a smirk on my face.

We flanked the entrance, as advertised, were two stone garden gnomes, ugly bearded little runts, smiling and waving, as if they were about to get their picture taken, there was something unnatural about this place.

Grover said "Hey… guys…"

I gave a low growl and said "I have a _**bad**_ feeling about this…" I wish they would just listen and obey their superior, but of course who am I to tell them that? I myself seldom obey, so I cannot ask them to obey me, it would be hypocritical for me to do that.

Annabeth said "The lights are on inside," Annabeth said. "Maybe it is open?"

"Snack bar." Percy said longingly.

"Snack bar." she agreed.

"Are you two crazy?" Grover said. "This place is weird!"

I had to agree with Grover and said "I smell something other than food… I smelt it before…" I could not place it, but I _**knew**_ I had smelt it before.

They ignored us, how typical.

The front garden was a forest of statues: _stone_ animals, _stone_ children, even a _stone_ satyr playing the pipes, which gave Grover the creeps.

"Bla- ha- ha!" he bleated. "Looks like my Uncle Ferdinand!"

We stopped at the warehouse door.

"Please do not knock," Grover pleaded. "I smell monsters."

"Your nose is clogged up from the Furies," Annabeth told him. "All I smell is burgers. Are you hungry or not?"

"Meat!?" he said scornfully. "I am a vegetarian!"

"You eat cheese enchiladas and aluminum cans," I reminded him.

"Those are vegetables. Come on. Let's leave. These statues are… looking at me." He said shivering with the creeps.

Then the door creaked open, and standing in front of us was a very tall woman, she wore a long black gown that covered everything but her hands, and her head was completely veiled. Her coffee colored hands looked old, but well manicured and elegant. But I sensed danger _**big**_ time! I smelt reptiles. Believe me I can never forget the smell of reptiles! The Lizard murdered my first love; Gwen Stacey. I knew something was up, but I could not say a thing.

She had an accent that sounded vaguely Middle Eastern, she said, "Children, it is too late to be out all alone. Where are your parents?"

"They are… um…" Annabeth started to say.

Percy said and I said at the same time "We are orphans."

"They are dead" I said while looking down, I acted as if I was going to cry. I clenched my first. I was remembering my ' _mother'_ of this life.

"Orphans?" the woman said. The word sounded alien in her mouth. "But, my dears! Surely not!"

"We got-" Percy began.

But I cut him off and said "We were just in a bus wreck, my Aunt was killed. She told us to run for it. So we ran."

I normally avoid lying, but desperate times calls for desperate measures. Loki's and Hermes's blessings do coming in handy.

Percy continued "Anyway, we are lost. Is that food I smell?"

"Oh, my dears," the woman said. "You must come in, poor children. I am Aunty Em. Go straight through to the back of the warehouse, please. There is a dining area."

Percy, Annabeth and Grover thanked her and went inside. I myself acted as if I was in a daze, before I caught up.

When I got caught up Annabeth muttered to me, "Where did you get the idea from?"

I gave her a glare, well more like an emotionless stare, because there was no heat in it, nor was it cold. I simply gave a tired and sad sigh and said "I may as well be an orphan." I put his hoodie up and lowered I lowered my gaze to the floor, the shadows hiding my face from view.

I sensed sympathy from Annabeth.

The warehouse was filled with more statues; people in all different poses, wearing all different outfits from different eras. They were all life sized and the details were too perfect.

I noticed Grover was whimpering nervously, I saw the statues seemed to watch my every movement with their eyes. What set me on edge even more so was the fact that Aunty Em had locked the door behind us.

My danger sense was making me too nauseous to eat. I reached for my enchanted necklace that could transform into a chain whip its full size it to be determined. I noticed Peter was staring at me, so I hid it back under my trench coat.

"Please, sit down." Aunty Em said with a warm inviting smile.

Percy said "Awesome!"

"Um," Grover said reluctantly, "we do not have any money, ma'am."

Percy looked like he was going to hit Grover, but Aunty Em said, "No, no, children. No money. This is a special case, yes? It is my treat, for such nice orphans."

"Thank you, ma'am," Annabeth said.

Aunty Em stiffened, as if Annabeth had done something wrong, no it was more like as if she knew Annabeth. But then the old woman relaxed just as quickly as it came. I knew something was up. I raised my head and gave her my death glare, but the hoodie hid my face, but the temperature in the room dropped several degrees, but no one said a thing.

"Quite all right, Annabeth dear," she said. "You have such beautiful grey eyes, child."

I glared even harder, if that was plausible, I know we did not introduce ourselves to her. Something was not right here! I bit back an angry snarl.

Our hostess disappeared behind the snack counter and started cooking. Before we knew it, she had brought us plastic trays heaped with double cheeseburgers, vanilla shakes and XXL servings of French fries.

Percy was halfway through with his cheese burger took a little breather.

Annabeth slurped up her vanilla milk shake as if her life was dependent on it.

Grover picked at the fries, and eyed the tray's waxed paper liner as if he might go for that, but he still looked too nervous to eat.

I myself never sat down. I knew something sinister was up. So I acted as if I was going to tie my boots, but instead I reached into my boot and I pulled out my silver dagger, I quickly hid it from view by sliding it up my sleeve. I noticed I caught Percy's eye, I simply hoped he would not say a word.

Grover asked "What is that hissing noise?"

Annabeth shook her head no, as did Percy. I gave him a grave nod, I have been hearing it for a while. I began to double my observation of the room. My eyes landed on Aunty Em. From what I could hear the hissing was coming from her, as well as the smell of reptile…

"Hissing?" Aunty Em asked. "Perhaps you hear the deep fryer oil. You have keen ears, Grover."

"I take vitamins for my ears." He replied.

"That is admirable," she said. "But please sit, relax."

Everyone but myself and Aunty Em ate. I had yet to move from the whole I was leaning on.

I noticed Aunty Em had yet taken off her headdress, even to cook, and now she sat forward and interlaced her fingers and watched Percy, Annabeth and Grover eat.

I could tell everyone was getting weary and letting their guards down, I myself was wary (meaning I was guarded, cautious).

Percy tried to strike up a conversation by saying "So, you sell gnomes,"

"Oh, yes," Aunty Em said. "And animals. And people. Anything for the garden. Custom orders. Statuary is very popular, you know."

Percy asked "A lot of business on this road?"

"Not so much, no. Since the highway was built… most cars, they do not go this way now. I must cherish every customer I get." She said.

I noticed Percy getting a little unnerved by a staring statue.

Aunty Em noticed this and said sadly "Ah, You notice some of my creations do not turn out well. They are marred. They do not sell. The face is the hardest to get right. Always the face."

Percy asked "You make these statues yourself?"

"Oh, yes. Once upon a time, I had two sisters to help me in the business, but they have passed on, and Aunty Em is alone. I have only my statues. This is why I make them, you see. They are my company." She told Percy.

I could sense there was more to the story than just that. She was hiding something…

Annabeth had stopped eating. She sat forward and she asked, "Two sisters?"

"It is a terrible story," Aunty Em said. "Not one for children, mind you. You see, Annabeth, a bad woman was jealous of me, long ago, when I was young. I had a… a boyfriend, you know, and this bad woman was determined to break us apart. She caused a terrible accident. My sisters stayed by me. They shared my bad fortune as long as they could, but eventually they passed on. They faded away. I alone have survived, but at a price. Such a price."

"Percy?" Annabeth was shaking me to get his attention. "Maybe we should go."

She sounded tense. I guess she was putting things together, though a bit slower than I would have thought.

Grover was eating the waxed paper off the tray now, but if Aunty Em found that strange, she did not say anything.

"Such beautiful grey eyes," Aunty Em told Annabeth again. "My, yes, it has been a long time since I have seen grey eyes like those."

She reached out as if to stroke Annabeth's cheek, but Annabeth stood up abruptly.

"We really should go." Annabeth said I saw fear in her grey eyes.

"Yes!" Grover swallowed his waxed paper and stood up.

I stopped leaning against the wall and said "Annabeth is right, there is a safe house about five miles from here. We need to leave. Now." I stood up and walked behind Annabeth, and I placed a hand on each shoulder, I used the blessing of Hestia to give her hope and to ward off the chill of evil. She relaxed in my touch, more than I wish she would have.

"A pose?" Annabeth asked warily.

"A photograph. I will use it to model a new statue set. Children are so popular, you see. Everyone loves children." She explained.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. They heard the snort. The eye roll? I guess they can guess it.

Annabeth shifted her weight from foot to foot. "I do not think we can, ma'am. Come on, Percy-"

"Sure we can!" Percy said "It is just a photo, Annabeth. What is the harm?"

I face palmed at first and then I said glaring at Percy "No, we cannot have our picture taken. We are under a witness protection order. We have no electrics on us. We thought about hiding in plain sight, but look at what that caused. We have to keep moving."

"Yes, Annabeth," the woman purred. "No harm. No one will ever find out you picture has been taken Peter."

I could tell Annabeth did not like it.

Aunty Em directed us to a park bench next to the stone satyr. "Now," she said, "I will just position you correctly. The young girl in the middle, I think, and the two young gentlemen on both sides of her, and the guardian in the background."

"Not much light for a photo." Percy remarked.

"Oh, it is enough," Aunty Em said. "Enough for us to see each other, yes?"

"Where is your camera?" Grover asked.

Aunty Em stepped back, as if to admire the shot. "Now, the face is the most difficult. Can you smile for me please, everyone? A large smile?"

I said coldly "I do not smile all that often."

Grover glanced at the cement satyr next to him, and mumbled, "That sure does look like Uncle Ferdinand."

"Grover," Aunty Em chastised, "look this way, dear."

She still had no camera in her hands.

"Percy…" Annabeth said.

I could tell Percy was fighting the spell.

"I will just be a moment," Aunty Em said. "You know, I can't see you very well in this cursed veil…"

"Percy, something is wrong," Annabeth insisted.

"Wrong?" Aunty Em said, reaching up to undo the wrap around her head. "Not at all, dear. I have such noble company tonight. What could be wrong?"

"That _is_ Uncle Ferdinand!" Grover gasped.

I shouted "Medusa!" I was going to throw my silver dagger, but I sensed danger coming from behind, I shadow traveled away.

I heard Annabeth shout "Look away from her!"

She slapped on her Yankees cap on to her head and vanished.

She shoved Percy and Grover to the ground.

Knowing they were safe for the time being I went to find the other dangers.

I traveled back into the woods. I was about a hundred feet from entrance of the wood line, when my spider sense went off. I used my dagger to deflect an old wicked looking arrow. I pulled it out of my sleeve and got into a defensive stance.

I scanned the tree line and I saw a harpy with a cruel looking bow. The bow seemed to be made of black bones, stained with dried blood.

She shot another arrow, and I dodged it by taking a step to the left.

I felt my spider sense go off and time slowed. My instincts took over and I dove to the left. Right where I was a second before was an old battle ax. I smelt rotten meat.

I gave a growl and said "Hello Beef Face…."

 ***MOOOOOO***

With that the Minotaur charged me.

I waited till he was almost on top of me.

I drove to the right, but as I did, my spider sense went off. My hand jerked up on its own accord and caught an arrow from the air, while I myself was in the middle of rolling o my feet.

 _Thank you Spider Sense!_

I threw the arrow back, the harpy took flight and gave a screech.

The nausea in my gut increased.

Soon I was surrounded by about twelve harpy, some perched in trees, other circled over head.

The Minotaur held his battle ax ready to charge again. There were three Cyclopes. I smirked and said in a deathly calm voice "Do your worse…" I could tell I unnerved some of them, well the ones that could half think.

The Minotaur charged with his ax raised high over head. I threw my dagger into his heart, killing him midstride.

The harpies open fired at me, I did my best to dodge them, but there were too many.

I ended up getting a few nicks on my face, my leather trench coat and leather pants protected me. I put on my black leather spiked gloves and said with battle lust in my voice "Shall we dance?" Without waiting I charged one of the three Cyclopses.

He swung his club in a downward arc trying to crush me like a bug. Some things never change, do they? I was fast enough, but barely to slide between his legs just as he smash the ground making a large crater.

I rolled to my feet and pull out my sliver _knife_ and I jumped onto his back and I stabbed him in the back of his head, turning him to dust.

I fell, but I rolled with it, no literally, I hit the ground and rolled.

The remaining two ground monsters looked fearful. The harpies looked uncertain. I smirked and said mockingly "What's wrong, scared of little old me, a mere demigod?" That provoked them, all of them. All of the harpies shot, and the two Cyclopes charged.

The Cyclopes ended up killing themselves by stepping into the hail of arrows. I myself was running into the trees, using them as cover. I ducked under branches, jumped over roots, climbed into trees and jumped from tree to tree.

They flew after me. I smirked, I used my modified, enchanted wrist watches and I made a giant spider web between two large oak trees.

The harpies flew right into it. They were unable to move, and the more they did, the more that got stuck. They were like flies, caught in a spider web, my web.

Let's say they had no chance.

However when I jumped down, I caught an arrow in my leg. I saw to two other gorgons, Medusa's sisters. One kept shooting the bow at me, the other came in fast and hard with her dagger like talons. I was already hurt, so I was a little slower than before.

They kept me backing up. I was unable to move forward. The arrow must have been poisoned. I could feel myself slowing down and my senses dulling. I was weakening quickly.

I was forced to use a forbidden ability. A technique the Poseidon himself only used once himself against his father; Blood Control. I reached out and I felt the water in their blood. They froze in spot, motionless. I felt myself slip away in my own mind. I felt someone… or….. Something take over my body. I was a hostage in my own body. I could feel myself giving them a sick, malicious, evil grin. But that was the last thing I wanted. I spoke unbiddenly in a deathly calm and cold tone. My voice was deeper, more sinister, almost evil "Freeze." I could feel their blood slowly turning to ice.

They let out screams of tortuous pain, before they died, I thawed them and made their blood warm up to near a boil, then near freeze it. I felt my body giving a cold, laugh enjoying seeing my victims in pain. They begged for death, but I was having none of it. I forced the poison out of me and I forced it down their throat. I then froze them completely, killing them and tuning them to dust. I felt myself come back, from the back of my mind. I had a massive headache and I was afraid of myself…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I shadow traveled back.

I saw Grover give aa bashful grin. "That really was _not_ fun, though. Well, the hitting her with a stick part, that was fun. But crashing into a concrete bear? _Not_ fun."

I chuckled, but they did not even jump, they all looked at me and I looked at myself and I saw I was covered in gold monster dust and green blood.

No one asked me where I went and where I had gone nor did they want to know what happened.

Grover snatched his shoes out of the air and Percy recapped my sword. Together, the three of them (Grover, Annabeth and Grover) stumbled back to the warehouse.

We found some old plastic grocery bags behind the snack counter and double wrapped Medusa's head.

We plopped it on the table where we had eaten dinner and sat around it, too exhausted to speak.

Finally Percy spoke up, "So we have Athena to thank for this monster?"

Annabeth flashed me an irritated look. "Your dad, actually, do you not remember? Medusa was Poseidon's girlfriend. They decided to meet in my mother's temple. That is why Athena turned her into a monster. Medusa and her two sisters who had helped her get into the temple, they became the three gorgons. That is why Medusa wanted to slice me up, but she wanted to preserve you as a nice statue. She is still sweet on your dad. You probably reminded her of him."

I coldly and angrily, the room temperature dropped so low that they could see their breath. I said "True Medusa and Poseidon was a couple, but it was because Zeus _raped_ Medusa in Athena's temple. Medusa _cried_ and _called_ for help, but none came. Your _mother_ cursed because she was _jealous_ of her. She found a reason enough to curse her, she was no longer a virgin and it was lost in her temple, while Medusa was on duty."

Annabeth frowned and said "That was not what I learned."

I chuckled cold and darkly then said "History is decided by the victors, those who came out on top chose how the story is to be told. Zeus has always been like that, women he can't get willingly, he forces."

Percy got up and left while saying"I will be back."

"Percy," Annabeth called after me. "What are you doing?"

I chuckled quietly to myself as I saw Percy digging through Medusa's office. He found some packing slips for Hermes Overnight Express, each with a little leather bag attached for coins.

He went to back to the picnic table, packed up Medusa's head, and filled out a delivery slip:

 _The Gods_

 _Mount Olympus_

 _600th Floor,_

 _Empire State Building_

 _New York, NY_

 _With best wishes,_

 _PERCY JACKSON_

"They are not going to like that," Grover warned. "They will think you are impertinent."

Percy poured some golden drachmas in the pouch. As soon as he closed it, there was a sound like a cash register. The package floated off the table and disappeared with a _pop!_

"I _am_ impertinent!" He said. Percy and I shared a fist bump.

He looked at Annabeth, daring her to criticize.

She did not. She seemed resigned to the fact that Percy and I had a major talent for ticking off the gods.

"Come on," she muttered. "We need a new plan."

I chuckled and said "I don't suppose you have one, child of Wisdom?"

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Annabeth, Grover and Percy were pretty miserable that night, but I was not bothered about it. We camped out in the woods, a hundred meters from the main road, in a marshy clearing that local kids had obviously been using for parties. The ground was littered with flattened soda cans and fast food wrappers.

We had taken some food and blankets from Aunty Em's, but we did not dare light a fire to dry our damp clothes. The Furies and Medusa had provided enough excitement for one day. We did not want to attract anything else.

However, I dried them off by controlling the water, I pulling it out of their clothes, but they were still cold, except for me, I am immune to the cold…. Well…. temperature . I could tell Percy was jealous of my water control, and the rest were jealous about me being immune to the cold. Truth be told, I AM jealous off them, they CAN feel. The warmth of the sun, a nice cool spring breeze. A warm hand. I cannot not feel, my pain tolerance is off the charts.

We decided to sleep in shifts. Percy volunteered to take first watch, but I told him I would.

Annabeth curled up on the blankets and was snoring as soon as her head hit the ground. Grover fluttered with his flying shoes to the lowest bough of a tree, put his back to the trunk, and stared at the night sky.

"Go ahead and sleep," I said told him. "I will wake you if there is trouble."

He nodded, but still did not close his eyes. "It makes me sad, Peter."

I sighed and said "I know what you mean, where I grew up and where I went. Nature was about as pure as it could be. When I went to Alaska; that is truly the last frontier in the world. Nature is still wild and almost pure. The sky is full of stars, it is utterly beautiful." I thought about the two years I had with my sister, we went all over, Washington, Alaska, California, Florida, Hawaii, and all over the heartland.

Grover said "This is a terrible time to be a satyr."

Percy leaned up and said "Oh, yeah. I guess you would be an environmentalist."

I rolled my eyes at his comment and waited for Grover to snap.

Grover glared at Percy and said "Only a human would not be. Your species is clogging up the world so fast… ah, never mind. It's useless to lecture a human. At the rate things are going, I will never find Pan."

"Pam? Like the cooking spray?" Percy asked

"Pan!" he cried indignantly. "P -A- N. The great god Pan! What do you think I want a searcher's license for?"

A strange breeze rustled through the clearing, temporarily overpowering the stink of trash and muck. It brought the smell of berries and wildflowers and clean rainwater, things that would have once been in these woods.

Percy asked Grover "Please tell me about the search."

I took that as my queue to leave. I faded into the darkness.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I left the group behind me. I needed to be alone.

The weather around me became more violent and the night sky darkened. I knew now that Artemis knew something was up with me, as did those who shared a domain with me. At least we were away from the ocean.

Lightning flashed across the sky. The rain began to give way to pouring. The rain drops were the size of nickels. The wind whipped all around, trees fell over and crashed all around me.

I looked to the heavens and whispered "Why… why me?..."

All of a sudden, I felt drained. I felt exhausted. I was worn out and worn thin.

I was ready to shut my eyes, and hoped maybe I could wake up from this nightmare.

But I was unable to sleep, my mind was going thousands of miles a second.

I wanted a good fight, but I had a feeling that, that would be a bad idea.

I shadow traveled back to the camp, after I shut off the storm, and I just watched them sleep, well most of them. I noticed Grover get up and walk into the woods.

Since I sensed no danger, I thought he might have had the heard the call of nature.

I heard him talking with someone, but I was not going to eavesdrop.

I pulled out my MP3 and played a song I really enjoyed; _**Good Charlotte**_ \- _**S.O.S.**_

 _Is anybody listening?  
Can they hear me when I call?  
I'm shooting signals in the air  
'Cause I need somebody's help  
I can't make it on my own  
So I'm giving up myself  
Is anybody listening?  
Listening_

 _I've been stranded here and I'm miles away_  
 _Making signals hoping they'd save me_  
 _I lock myself inside these walls_  
 _'Cause out there I'm always wrong_  
 _I don't think I'm gonna make it_  
 _So while I'm sitting here_  
 _On the eve of my defeat_  
 _I'll write this letter and hope it saves me_

 _Is anybody listening?_  
 _Can they hear me when I call?_  
 _Shooting signals in the air_  
 _'Cause I need somebody's help_  
 _I can't make it on my own_  
 _So I'm giving up myself_  
 _Is anybody listening?_  
 _Listening_

 _I'm stuck in my own head and I'm oceans away_  
 _Would anybody notice if I chose to stay?_  
 _I'll send an SOS tonight_  
 _Wonder if I will survive_  
 _How in the hell did I get so far away this time_  
 _So now I'm sitting here_  
 _The time of my departure's near_  
 _I say a prayer_  
 _Please someone save me_

 _Is anybody listening?_  
 _Can they hear me when I call?_  
 _Shooting signals in the air_  
 _'Cause I need somebody's help_  
 _I can't make it on my own_  
 _So I'm giving up myself_  
 _Is anybody listening?_  
 _Listening_

 _I'm lost here_  
 _I can't make it on my own_  
 _I don't want to die alone_  
 _I'm so scared_  
 _Drowning now_  
 _Reaching out_  
 _Holding on to everything I know_  
 _Crying out_  
 _Dying now_  
 _Need some help_

 _Is anybody listening?_  
 _Can you hear me when I call?_  
 _Shooting signals in the air_  
 _I need somebody's help_  
 _I can't make it on my own_  
 _So I'm giving up myself_  
 _Is anybody listening?_

After the song I felt tired, I felt myself drifting off to sleep.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up with the sun rise. I pulled some bags that we 'borrowed' from Medusa's shop. I summed some food that I knew people would enjoy.

By the time I got back Percy was waking up.

I heard Annabeth say to Percy "Long enough for me to cook breakfast."

I chuckled as I walked in and said "Actually I think we should save the snacks for later. I bought us some fresh muffins, donuts and some fresh fruit."

I tossed Grover an Apple and he ate like the one we were play hacky sack with. I saw Percy smile.

I made sure Annabeth and Percy had plenty to eat, and Grover, well he took care of himself. I lost count of how many fruits and how much of the baked goods he munched on.

I noticed Percy staring at my face.

Percy quickly looked away from me, and when he did he saw the Poodle Grover found lost night. I guessed that, that was who Grover was talking to.

I heard Gladiola ask suspiciously " _I take it he is not the sharpest knife in the drawer_."

Grover said, "No, he is not."

Percy blinked. Confused "Are you… talking to that thing?"

The poodle growled.

"This _thing_ ," Grover warned, "is our ticket west. Be nice to him."

"You can talk to animals?" Percy asked.

Grover ignored the question. "Percy, meet Gladiola. Gladiola, Percy."

Percy stared at Annabeth, as if he figured she would crack up at this practical joke we were playing on him, but she looked deadly serious.

"I am not saying hello to a pink poodle," Percy said. "Forget it."

"Percy," Annabeth said. "I said hello to the poodle. You say hello to the poodle."

The poodle growled.

Percy said hello to the poodle, though be it grudgingly

Grover explained that he had come across Gladiola in the woods and they had struck up a conversation. The poodle had run away from a rich local family, who had posted a $200 reward for his return.

Gladiola did not really want to go back to his family, but he was willing to if it meant helping Grover.

"How does Gladiola know about the reward?" I asked.

"He read the signs, duh" Grover said as if it was a no brainer.

"Of course," Percy said. "Silly me."

I chuckled at Percy's response.

"So we turn in Gladiola," Annabeth explained in her best strategy voice, "we get money and we buy tickets to Los Angeles. Simple."

"Not another bus," Percy said warily.

"No," Annabeth agreed. She pointed downhill, towards train tracks I had not been able to see last night in the dark. "There is an AM Track station half a mile that way. According to Gladiola, the westbound train leaves at noon."

Percy asked "Wait! Did Peter say hello?"

I rolled his eyes and said "I spoke to her as well. She does not like being treated as a baby or like she is fragile."

Percy shook my head and said "Whatever! Whatever!"

I sighed and shook my head as I brought up the tail.

We went to the train station. I was going to pay to go all the way to LA, but they refused.

I wanted to help, but they will not accept the help. I was not going to force them into anything.

We went into the train. Percy, Annabeth and Grover sat near each other. Me? I rode in the back of the caboose. It was quiet and I enjoyed it.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is another chapter I hoped you enjoyed it!**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me and tell me what you would like to see and what I could do better!**

 **Death Fury out!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you " _Tabris the 17th angle _ " for your review; He received some of his memories when Hestia blessed him, she was the fist one to bless him in that realm, in both timelines. However Peter has far too much memories to get at once, it was like a lightning bolt, it is brighter than the sun, but lasts not even a second, but he does have flash backs, and the dejavu moments. He remembers part of the Hunt at times, but like a dream. It is like when Hera stole Percy's memories, he _COULD_ remember, but at the cost of headache and frustration. He _IS_ full of _anger,_ _bitterness_ and _grief._ He holds a grudge worse than Hades and Tartarus combined. He is similar to Nico, he takes after Hades more so than he does Zeus. He has Poseidon's threats (not a threat, a promise), Hades's cold temperament and grudges, and he can have Zeus's anger.**

 **Thank you "Man285" for your review as well; I am glad you liked the chapter.**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

We spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain.

We were not attacked once, but I did not relax. I felt that we were travelling around in a display case, being watched from above and maybe from below, that something was waiting for the right opportunity.

I tried to keep a low profile because my name and picture were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The _Trenton Register News_ showed a photo taken by a tourist as I got off the Greyhound bus. I had a wild look in my eyes. My sword was a metallic blur in my hands. It might have been a baseball bat or a lacrosse stick.

The picture's caption read:

 _Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be travelling with two teenage accomplices. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture_.

"Do not worry," Annabeth told me. "The mortal police could never find us." But she did not sound so sure.

The rest of the day I spent alternately pacing the length of the train (because I had a really hard time sitting still), or looking out the windows.

Once, I spotted a family of centaurs galloping across a wheat field, bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch. The little boy centaur, who was the size of a second grader on a pony, caught my eye and waved.

I looked around the passenger car, but nobody else had noticed. The adult riders all had their faces buried in laptop computers or magazines.

Another time, towards evening, I saw something huge moving through the woods. I could have sworn it was a lion, except that lions do not live wild in America, and this thing was the size of a tank. Its fur glinted gold in the evening light. Then it leaped through the trees and was gone.

Our reward money for returning Gladiola the poodle had only been enough to purchase tickets as far as Denver Peter tried to pay, but I had a feeling that using _his_ money may be a bad idea; it was _my_ quest, not his.

We could not get berths in the sleeper car, so we dozed in our seats. My neck got stiff. I tried not to drool in my sleep, since Annabeth was sitting right next to me.

Grover kept snoring and bleating and waking me up. Once, he shuffled around and his fake foot fell off. Annabeth and I had to stick it back on before any of the other passengers noticed.

"So," Annabeth asked me, once we had got Grover's trainer readjusted. "Who wants your help?"

I asked her "What do you mean?"

"When you were asleep just now, you mumbled, 'I will not help you!' Who were you dreaming about?"

I was reluctant to say anything. It was the second time I had dreamed about the evil voice from the pit. But it bothered me so much I finally told her.

Annabeth was quiet for a long time. "That does not sound like Hades. He always appears on a black throne, and he never laughs."

"He offered my mother in trade. Who else could do that!?" I asked convinced.

"I guess… if he meant, 'Help me rise from the Underworld.' If he wants war with the Olympians. But why ask you to bring him the master bolt if he already has it?"

I shook my head, wishing I knew the answer. I thought about what Grover had told me that the Furies on the bus seemed to have been looking for something.

 _Where is it? Where?_

Maybe Grover sensed my emotions. He snorted in his sleep, muttered something about vegetables and turned his head.

Annabeth readjusted his cap so it covered his horns. "Percy, you can't barter with Hades. You know that, right? He is deceitful, heartless and greedy. I do not care if his Kindly Ones were not as aggressive this time-"

"This time?" I asked. "You mean you have run into them before?"

Her hand crept up to her necklace. She fingered a glazed white bead painted with the image of a pine tree, one of her clay end of summer tokens. "Let's just say I have got no love for the Lord of the Dead. You can't be tempted to make a deal for your _mom."_

"What would you do if it was your dad?" I asked.

"That is easy," she said. "I would leave him to rot."

"You are kidding right?" I half asked and half hoped.

Annabeth's grey eyes fixed on me. She wore the same expression she had worn in the woods at camp, the moment she drew her sword against the hellhound. "My dad's resented me since the day I was born, Percy," she said. "He never wanted a baby. When he got me, he asked Athena to take me back and raise me on Olympus because he was too busy with his work. She was not happy about that. She told him heroes had to be raised by their mortal parent."

"But how… I mean, I guess you were not born in a hospital…"My voice trailed off.

"I appeared on my father's doorstep, in a golden cradle, carried down from Olympus by Zephyr the West Wind. You would think my dad would remember that as a miracle, right? Like, maybe he would take some digital photos or something. But he always talked about my arrival as if it were the most inconvenient thing that had ever happened to him. When I was five he got married and totally forgot about Athena. He got a 'regular' mortal wife, and had two 'regular' mortal kids, and tried to pretend I did not exist."

I stared out the train window. The lights of a sleeping town were drifting by. I wanted to make

Annabeth feel better, but I did not know how.

"My mom married a really awful guy," I told her. "Grover said she did it to protect me, to hide me in the scent of a human family. Maybe that is what your dad was thinking."

Annabeth kept worrying at her necklace. She was pinching the gold college ring that hung with the beads. It occurred to me that the ring must be her father's. I wondered why she wore it if she hated him so much.

"He does not care about me," she said. "His wife my stepmom treated me like a freak. She would not let me play with her children. My dad went along with her. Whenever something dangerous happened you know, something with monsters they would both look at me resentfully, like, 'How dare you put our family at risk!' Finally, I took the hint. I was not wanted. I ran away."

I asked "How old were you?"

"The same age as when I started camp. Seven." She told me.

"But… you could not have got all the way to Half Blood Hill by yourself." I stated.

"Not alone, no. Athena watched over me, guided me towards help. I made a couple of unexpected friends who took care of me, for a short time, anyway." She explained.

I wanted to ask what happened, but Annabeth seemed lost in sad memories. So I listened to the sound of Grover snoring and gazed out the train windows as the dark fields of Ohio raced by.

Towards the end of our second day on the train, June 13, eight days before the summer solstice, we passed through some golden hills and over the Mississippi River into St Louis.

Annabeth craned her neck to see the Gateway Arch, which looked to me like a huge shopping bag handle stuck on the city.

"I want to do that…" she sighed.

"Do what?" I asked.

"Build something like that. You ever see the Parthenon, Percy?" She asked me.

I answered "Only in pictures."

"Someday, I am going to see it in person. I am going to build the greatest monument to the gods ever. Something that will last a thousand years!" She started to get a little excited.

I laughed. "You? An architect?"

I do not know why, but I found it funny, just the idea of Annabeth trying to sit quietly and draw all day.

Her cheeks flushed with anger "Yes, an architect! Athena expects her children to create things, not just tear them down, like a certain god of earthquakes I could mention."

I watched the churning brown water of the Mississippi below.

"Sorry." Annabeth said. '"That was mean."

"Can't we work together a little?" I pleaded. "I mean, have not Athena and Poseidon ever cooperated?"

Annabeth had to think about it. "I guess… the chariot…" she said tentatively. "My mom invented it, but Poseidon created horses out of the crests of waves. So they had to work together to make it complete."

I smiled and said "Then we can cooperate, too. Right?"

We rode into the city, Annabeth watching as the Arch disappeared behind a hotel.

"I suppose…" she said at last.

We pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we had have a three hour stopover before departing for Denver.

Grover stretched. Before he was even fully awake, he said, "Food."

"Come on, goat boy," Annabeth said. "Sightseeing."

I asked "Sightseeing?"

"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"

Grover, Peter and I exchanged looks.

I wanted to say no, but I figured that if Annabeth was going, we could not very well let her go alone.

Peter chuckled and said "I could go for a stroll. Besides I do enjoy high places."

I thought ' _of course you do!_ '

Grover shrugged. "As long as there is a snack bar without monsters."

Peter chuckled when Grover said that as if he thought of a joke.

I sighed and said "I am not staying behind alone! I guess to the arch we go!"

The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in were not that long.

We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other junk from the 1800s. It was not all that thrilling, but Annabeth kept telling us interesting facts about how the Arch was built, and Grover kept passing me blue jelly beans, so I was okay.

I kept looking around, though, at the other people in line. "You smell anything?" I murmured to Grover.

He took his nose out of the jelly bean bag long enough to sniff.

"Underground," he said distastefully. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably does not mean anything."

But something felt wrong to me. I had a feeling we should not be here.

I looked to Peter he had an uneasy face as if he felt something like I did, as if something bad was going to happen.

"Guys," I said. "You know the gods' symbols of power?"

Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over. "Yeah why?"

I began "Well, Hade-"

Grover cleared his throat. "We are in a public place… You mean, our friend downstairs?"

Peter rolled his eyes in an uncaring fashion.

"Um, right…." I said. "Our friend _way_ downstairs. I thought he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that is his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there? I thought he was not allowed on Olympus!" I asked.

She nodded. "The winter solstice the only time he is allowed to visit Olympus the darkest day of the year. But his helmet is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I have heard is even half true…'"

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

Peter snorted and said "People fear the unknown, not always the darkness."

We looked at him and Grover murmured "True…"

"But then… how do we know he is not here right now, watching us?" I asked.

Annabeth, Grover and Peter exchanged looks.

"We do not know." Grover said.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," I said. '"Got any blue jelly beans left?"

I had almost mastered my jumpy nerves when I saw the tiny little elevator car we were going to ride to the top of the Arch, and I knew I was in trouble. I hate confined places. They make me nuts.

We got shoehorned into the car with this big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I figured maybe the dog was a seeing eye Chihuahua, because none of the guards said a word about it.

We started going up, inside the Arch. I had never been in an elevator that went in a curve, and my stomach was not too happy about it.

"No parents?" the fat lady asked us.

She had beady eyes; pointy, coffee stained teeth; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much she looked like a blue jean blimp.

"They are below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings." The fat lady said.

The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave."The dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious.

I asked, "Sonny. Is that his name?"

"No," the lady told me.

She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.

Peter shot them a glare that made them flinch. Annabeth elbowed him in the ribs, forcing the air out of his lungs. He then gave a glare at Annabeth, she paled. Peter said coolly "I would not touch me again if I were you Miss Chase."

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a tin can with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other.

The view was okay, but if there is anything I like less than a confined space, it is a confined space two hundred meters in the air. I was ready to go pretty quick.

Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would have made the windows bigger, and designed a see through floor. She probably could have stayed up there for hours, but luckily for me the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

I steered Grover and Annabeth towards the exit, loaded them into the elevator and I was about to get in myself when I realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for me and Peter.

The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."

"We will get out," Annabeth said. "We can wait with you guys."

But that was going to mess everybody up and take even more time, so I said, "Naw, it is okay. We will see you guys at the bottom."

Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but they let the elevator door slide shut. Their car disappeared down the ramp.

Now the only people left on the observation deck were me, Peter, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger and the fat lady with her Chihuahua.

I smiled uneasily at the fat lady. She smiled back, her forked tongue flickering between her teeth.

Wait a minute.

Forked tongue?

Before I could decide if I had really seen that, her Chihuahua jumped down and started yapping at me and Peter.

"Now, now, sonny," the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" said the little boy. "Look, a doggie!"

His parents pulled him back.

The Chihuahua bared his teeth at me, foam dripping from his black lips.

"Well, son," the fat lady sighed. "If you insist."

Ice started forming in my stomach. "Um, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?"

" _Chimera,_ dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It is an easy mistake to make."

She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green.

When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's.

Peter snarled and said "Echidna!"

The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Dobermann, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.

The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back towards the exit, straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralyzed, gaping at the monster.

The Chimera was now so tall its back rubbed against the roof.

It had the head of a lion with a blood caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a three meter long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA RABID, FIRE BREATHING, POISONOUS IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS EXT. 954.

I realized I had not even uncapped my sword. My hands were numb. I was three meters away from the Chimeras bloody maw, and I knew that as soon as I moved, the creature would lunge.

The snake lady made a hissing noise that might've been laughter. "Be honoured, Percy Jackson. Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

I stared at her. All I could think to say was: "Is that not that a kind of anteater?"

Peter face palmed at me, he pulled out his chains and it grew to nine feet long, he had about four feet in each hand, with about a foot between.

She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"

Peter said with a shrug "Well you do hail from the land down under." Peter growled and said "A place where you will return!"

The Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing. Peter managed to shove me aside and dodge the bite himself.

I ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to pry open the emergency exit doors.

I could not let them get hurt. I uncapped my sword, ran to the other side of the deck, and yelled, "Hey, Chihuahua!"

The Chimera turned faster than I would have thought possible.

Before I could swing my sword, it opened its mouth, emitting a stench like the world's largest barbecue pit, and shot a column of flame straight at me.

I dived through the explosion. The carpet burst into flames; the heat was so intense, it seared off my eyebrows.

Where I had been standing a moment before was a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, with melted metal steaming around the edges.

Great, I thought. ' _We just blowtorched a national monument_.'

Riptide was now a shining bronze blade in my hands, and as the Chimera turned, I slashed at its neck.

That was my fatal mistake.

The blade sparked harmlessly off the dog collar. I tried to regain my balance, but I was so worried about defending myself against the fiery lion's mouth, I completely forgot about the serpent tail until it whipped around and sank its fangs into my calf.

My whole leg was on fire. I tried to jab Riptide into the Chimera's mouth, but the serpent tail wrapped around my ankles and pulled me off balance, and my blade flew out of my hand, spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down towards the Mississippi River.

Peter roared in rage he began a full on assault, the chains seemed to crackle with electricity.

The chains wrapped themselves around the Chimera's body before the chains themselves turned on fire, I mean a green fire that I could feel the heat from here.

The Chimera tried to escape but Peter brought the other end of the chain down on top if his head. It stopped struggling. Peter threw either his silver knife of his silver dagger. The blade went deep into its head, causing him to turn to dust.

I managed to get to my feet, but I knew I had lost. I was weaponless. I could feel deadly poison racing up to my chest. I remembered Chiron saying that Anaklusmos would always return to me, but there was no pen in my pocket.

Maybe it had fallen too far away. Maybe it only returned when it was in pen form. I did not know, and I was not going to live long enough to figure it out.

I backed into the hole in the wall.

The snake lady, Echidna, went white from fear. Peter was _**ANGRY**_ , anger management anyone?

I glanced at the park ranger and the family. The little boy was hiding behind his father's legs. I had to protect these people. I could not just… die. I tried to think, but my whole body was on fire. My head felt dizzy.

And I was scared.

There was no place else to go, so I stepped to the edge of the hole. Far, far below, the river glittered.

If I died, would the monsters go away? Would they leave the humans alone?

"If you are the sons of Poseidon," Echidna hissed, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline."

Yeah, right, I thought. I had read somewhere that jumping into water from a couple of stories up was like jumping on to concrete. From here, I would splatter on impact.

"You have no faith," Echidna told me. "You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart."

She was right: I was dying. I could feel my breath slowing down. Nobody could save me, not even the gods.

Peter snarled and said "You are correct I trust **no** one, **not** **anybody**. I know the Olympians are faithless, but that is not why I am fighting. I am fighting for friends, for family. I am fighting for those who cannot fight themselves. Go back to the Pit from whence you came!"

I backed up and looked down at the water. I remembered the warm glow of my father's smile when I was a baby. He must have seen me. He must have visited me when I was in my cradle.

I remembered the swirling green trident that had appeared above my head the night of capture the flag, when Poseidon had claimed me as his son.

But this was not the sea. This was the Mississippi, dead centre of the USA. There was no sea god here.

"Die, faithless one!" Echidna rasped.

"Father, help me," I prayed.

I turned and jumped. My clothes on fire, poison coursing through my veins, I plummeted towards the river.

I saw Peter with a look of pure rage and anger in his eyes, he pulled out his knives and that was all I saw before I hit the water below.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

I would love to tell you I had some deep revelation on my way down, that I came to terms with my own mortality, laughed in the face of death, et cetera. The truth that was Peter's thing.

What did I do? My only thought was: Aaaaggghhhhh!

The river raced towards me at the speed of a truck. Wind ripped the breath from my lungs. Steeples and skyscrapers and bridges tumbled in and out of my vision.

And then: _Flaaa-boooom!_

A whiteout of bubbles. I sank through the murk, sure that I was about to end up embedded in fifty meters of mud and lost forever.

But my impact with the water had not hurt at all. I was falling slowly now, bubbles trickling up through my fingers.

I settled on the river bottom soundlessly. A catfish the size of my stepfather lurched away into the gloom. Clouds of silt and disgusting garbage beer bottles, old shoes, plastic bags swirled up all around me.

At that point, I realized a few things: first, I had not been flattened into a pancake. I had not been barbecued. I could not even feel the Chimera poison boiling in my veins any more.

I was alive, which was good, very good.

Second realization: I was not wet. I mean, I could feel the coolness of the water. I could see where the fire on my clothes had been quenched. But when I touched my own shirt, it felt perfectly dry.

I looked at the garbage floating by and snatched an old cigarette lighter.

No way, I thought.

I flicked the lighter. It sparked. A tiny flame appeared, right there at the bottom of the Mississippi.

I grabbed a soggy hamburger wrapper out of the current and immediately the paper turned dry. I lit it with no problem. As soon as I let it go, the flames sputtered out.

The wrapper turned back into a slimy rag. Weird.

But the strangest thought occurred to me only last: I was breathing. I was underwater, and I was breathing normally, no, I was feeling better underwater than I do on the surface!

I stood up, thigh deep in mud. My legs felt shaky. My hands trembled. I should have been dead.

The fact that I was not seemed like… well, a miracle. I imagined a woman's voice, a voice that sounded a bit like my mother: _Percy, what do you say?_

 _Um… thanks_. Underwater, I sounded like I did on recordings, like a much older kid. _Thank you… Father_.

No response. Just the dark drift of garbage downriver, the enormous catfish gliding by, the flash of sunset on the water's surface far above, turning everything the colour of butterscotch.

Why had Poseidon saved me? The more I thought about it, the more ashamed I felt. So I had got lucky a few times before. Against a thing like the Chimera, I had never stood a chance.

Those poor people in the Arch were probably safe with Peter. I could not protect them. I am no hero. Maybe I should just stay down here with the catfish, join the bottom feeders.

 _Fump fump fump_. A riverboat's paddlewheel churned above me, swirling the silt around.

There, not two meters in front of me, was my sword, its gleaming bronze hilt sticking up in the mud.

I heard that woman's voice again: ' _Percy, take the sword. Your father believes in you.'_

This time, I knew the voice was not in my head. I was not imagining it. Her words seemed to come from everywhere, rippling through the water like dolphin sonar.

"Where are you?" I called aloud.

Then, through the gloom, I saw her, a woman the colour of the water, a ghost in the current, floating just above the sword. She had long billowing hair, and her eyes, barely visible, were green like mine.

A lump formed in my throat. I said, "Mom?"

' _No, child, only a messenger, though your mother's fate is not as hopeless as you believe. Go to the beach in Santa Monica.'_ She said.

I asked "What?"

' _It is your father's will. Before you descend into the Underworld, you must go to Santa Monica. Please, Percy, I cannot stay long. The river here is too foul for my presence.'_ She told me.

"But…" I was sure this woman was my mother, or a vision of her, anyway. "Who how did you-"

There was so much I wanted to ask, the words jammed up in my throat.

' _I cannot stay, brave one_.' the woman said. She reached out, and I felt the current brush my face like a caress. ' _You must go to Santa Monica! And, Percy, do not trust the gifts_ …'

Her voice faded.

"Gifts?" I asked. "What gifts? Wait!"

She made one more attempt to speak, but the sound was gone. Her image melted away. If it was my mother, I had lost her again.

I felt like drowning myself. The only problem: I was immune to drowning.

' _Your father believes in you_.' she had said.

She had also called me brave… unless she was talking to the catfish…

I waded through the muck towards Riptide and grabbed it by the hilt.

The mortal police would be arriving, trying to figure out who had blown a hole in the Arch. If they found me, they would have some questions.

I capped my sword, stuck the ballpoint pen in my pocket. "Thank you, Father," I said again to the dark water.

Then I kicked up through the muck and swam for the surface.

I came ashore next to a floating McDonald's.

A block away, every emergency vehicle in St Louis was surrounding the Arch. Police helicopters circled overhead. The crowd of onlookers reminded me of Times Square on New Year's Eve.

A little girl said, "Mama! That boy walked out of the river."

"That is nice, dear," her mother said, craning her neck to watch the ambulances.

"But he is dry!" the daughter said pointing at me.

The mother said "That is nice, dear."

A news lady was talking for the camera: "This is most likely terrorist attack, we are told, but it _is_ still very early in the investigation. The damage, as you can see, is very serious. We are trying to get to some of the survivors, to question them about eyewitness reports of someone falling from the Arch."

 _Survivors_. I felt a surge of relief. Maybe the park ranger and that family made it out safely. But I thought gloomily _'no thanks to me…'_

I hoped Annabeth, Grover and Peter were okay.

I tried to push through the crowd to see what was going on inside the police line.

"… an adolescent boy," another reporter was saying. "Channel Five has learned that surveillance cameras show an adolescent boy going wild on the observation deck, somehow setting off this freak explosion. Hard to believe, John, but that is what we are hearing. Again, no confirmed fatalities…"

I backed away, trying to keep my head down. I had to go a long way around the police perimeter.

Uniformed officers and news reporters were everywhere.

I had almost lost hope of ever finding Annabeth and Grover when a familiar voice bleated, "Perrrcy!"

I turned and got tackled by Grover's bear hug or... erm goat hug. He said, "We thought you'd gone to Hades the hard way!"

I looked around for Peter, I heard a voice in my head that sound similar to Peter, but a little deeper and older sounding _"I am going to be busy, keep them safe. I will catch up with you guys as soon as I can."_

Annabeth stood behind Grover, trying to look angry, but even she seemed relieved to see me. 'We can't leave you two alone for five minutes! What happened?"

I half lied "I sort of fell?"

"Percy! Two hundred meters?" Annabeth exclaimed.

Behind us, a cop shouted, "Gangway!" The crowd parted, and a couple of paramedics hustled out, rolling a woman on a stretcher. I recognized her immediately as the mother of the little boy who had been on the observation deck. She was saying, "And then this huge dog, this huge fire-breathing Chihuahua-"

"Okay, ma'am," the paramedic said. "Just calm down. Your family is fine. The medication is starting to kick in."

"I am not crazy! A boy jumped out of the hole and the other boy killed the monster with his bare hands then monster disappeared!" Then she saw me. "There he is! That is the boy who jumped!"

I turned quickly and pulled Annabeth and Grover after me. We disappeared into the crowd.

"What is going on?" Annabeth demanded. "Was she talking about the Chihuahua on the elevator? And where is Peter?"

I told them the whole story of the Chimera, Echidna, my high dive act, the underwater lady's message and Peter's message.

"Whoa," said Grover. "We have to get you to Santa Monica! You can't ignore a summons from your dad!"

Before Annabeth could respond, we passed another reporter doing a news break, and I almost froze in my tracks when he said, "Percy Jackson. That is right, Dan. Channel Twelve has learned that the boy who may have caused this explosion fits the description of a young man wanted by the authorities for a serious New Jersey bus accident three days ago. _And_ the boy is believed to be travelling west. For our viewers at home, here is a photo of Percy Jackson."

We ducked around the news van and slipped into an alley.

"First things first," I told Grover. "We have got to get out of town!"

Somehow, we made it back to the Amtrak station without getting spotted. We got on board the train just before it pulled out for Denver. The train trundled west as darkness fell, police lights still pulsing against the St Louis skyline behind us.

I was wondering what Peter was doing….

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

We spent two days on the Amtrak train, heading west through hills, over rivers, past amber waves of grain.

We were not attacked once, but we did not relax. I felt like we were being watched from above and from below, that something was waiting for the right opportunity to strike when our guard was the lowest.

.

Percy tried to keep a low profile because his name and picture were splattered over the front pages of several East Coast newspapers. The _Trenton Register News_ showed a photo taken by a tourist as he got off the Greyhound bus. His had a wild look in eyes. His sword was a metallic blur in his hands. It might have been a metal baseball bat or maybe a crowbar.

The picture's caption read:

 _Twelve-year-old Percy Jackson, wanted for questioning in the Long Island disappearance of his mother two weeks ago, is shown here fleeing from the bus where he accosted several elderly female passengers. The bus exploded on an east New Jersey roadside shortly after Jackson fled the scene. Based on eyewitness accounts, police believe the boy may be travelling with two teenage accomplices. His stepfather, Gabe Ugliano, has offered a cash reward for information leading to his capture_.

I sighed because I knew Percy did not like the limelight and because this was the last thing we need, not only do we have to keep an eye out for monsters, but also mortal police! There is only so much the Mist can do!

While I was sitting in the caboose I saw a group of centaurs running across a wheat field, with their bows at the ready, as they hunted lunch. A little boy centaur, which was about the size of a second grader on a pony, caught my eye I gave him a gentle wave which he happily return.

I saw the Nemean lion, in its golden glory. It was running like a golden arrow shot from the bow of Apollo. The powerful lion was the size of a tank. It was there once second and the next second it was gone.

Of course, when there is one monster, there are usually more.

But to my surprise, there was nothing, but I had a sinking feeling in my gut, that something bad was going to happen. It only got stronger the closer we got to Denver.

The train pulled into the Amtrak station downtown. The intercom told us we had have a three hour stopover before departing for Denver.

I quickly found the gang, I got there just in time to overhear them talking about the chariot.

Annabeth said "Come on, time for sightseeing!"

Percy asked "Sightseeing?"

"The Gateway Arch," she said. "This may be my only chance to ride to the top. Are you coming or not?"

Grover, Percy and I exchanged looks.

I and said "I could go for a stroll. Besides I do not mind the high places."

Grover shrugged. "As long as there is a snack bar without monsters."

I chuckled when Grover said that because I had a brief memory lapse of a time yet to be ' _the dam snack bar'._ I am sure they thought I was crazy (wait…. I am).

Percy said with a sigh "I am not staying behind alone! I guess to the arch we go!"

The Arch was about a mile from the train station. Late in the day the lines to get in were not that long.

We threaded our way through the underground museum, looking at covered wagons and other artifacts from the 1800s.

Annabeth seemed to love the history, I guess she cannot help but to love knowledge. She kept telling us interesting facts about how the Arch was built.

Grover kept passing Percy blue jelly beans, so I guess he was tolerating it ok.

Percy was extremely and was looking around as if anyone of these mortals would kill him at any second. He leaned towards Grover and murmured "You smell anything?"

Grover took his nose out of the jelly bean bag long enough to sniff.

"Underground," he said distastefully. "Underground air always smells like monsters. Probably does not mean anything."

I had a bad feeling about this, I sensed a very sudden danger, but I could not let the others know otherwise I would cause a panic. I tried to hide it, but once Percy and I shared eye contact I knew he also felt it. He felt something was wrong, very wrong.

Percy asked "Guys, you know the gods' symbols of power?"

Annabeth had been in the middle of reading about the construction equipment used to build the Arch, but she looked over. "Yeah why?"

Percy began "Well, Hade-"

Grover cleared his throat. "We are in a public place… You mean, our friend downstairs?"

I rolled my eyes because I knew people use 'Hades' as a cuss word, at least demigod did anyway. So what is the difference between saying it in a sentence or using it as a swear word? Not much to me!.

"Um, right…." Percy said. "Our friend _way_ downstairs. I thought he have a hat like Annabeth's?"

"You mean the Helm of Darkness," Annabeth said. "Yeah, that is his symbol of power. I saw it next to his seat during the winter solstice council meeting."

"He was there? I thought he was not allowed on Olympus!" Percy exclaimed.

She nodded. "The winter solstice the only time he is allowed to visit Olympus the darkest day of the year. But his helmet is a lot more powerful than my invisibility hat, if what I have heard is even half true…'"

"It allows him to become darkness," Grover confirmed. "He can melt into shadow or pass through walls. He can't be touched, or seen, or heard. And he can radiate fear so intense it can drive you insane or stop your heart. Why do you think all rational creatures fear the dark?"

I snorted and said "People fear the unknown, not always the darkness."

We looked at him and Grover murmured "True…"

"But then… how do we know he is not here right now, watching us?" Percy asked.

Annabeth, Grover and Peter exchanged looks.

"We do not know." Grover said with fear in his voice and dread coming into his eyes.

"Thanks, that makes me feel a lot better," Percy said. '"Got any blue jelly beans left?"

I knew Percy would hate confined places. The sea does not like to be contained!

Me? Well spider tends to enjoy cozy places, that and I am not truly a son of the sea. True I am untamable and wild. It is true I am unpredictable and can be violent just like the sea and weather.

We got shoehorned into the car with this big fat lady and her dog, a Chihuahua with a rhinestone collar. I had a bad feeling about that dog!"

We started going up, inside the Arch. I could tell Percy was not feeling too well, he was turning a bit green.

"No parents?" the fat lady asked us.

She had beady eyes; pointy, brown teeth that looked like coffee stains; a floppy denim hat, and a denim dress that bulged so much she looked like a blue jean blimp.

"They are below," Annabeth told her. "Scared of heights."

"Oh, the poor darlings." The fat lady said.

The Chihuahua growled. The woman said, "Now, now, sonny. Behave."The dog had beady eyes like its owner, intelligent and vicious.

Percy asked, "Sonny. Is that his name?"

"No," the lady told Percy. She smiled, as if that cleared everything up.

I shot them a glare that made them flinch. Annabeth elbowed me in the ribs, forcing the air out of my lungs. I then gave a glare at Annabeth, she paled. I said coolly "I would not touch me again if I were you Miss Chase." I had a sick feeling that these two were monsters. Danger powerful monsters at that! Yet Annabeth dared question my instincts? My instinct is what saved their butts not long ago! My instincts have yet to be proven wrong!

The rest of the ride was in silence, the tension in the cramped elevator.

At the top of the Arch, the observation deck reminded me of a cylinder with carpeting. Rows of tiny windows looked out over the city on one side and the river on the other.

The view was pretty good. I could easily over look the city, but I could tell Percy hated the confined space; it is a confined space two hundred meters in the air. Percy was ready to go pretty quick. I was ready to leave with him.

Annabeth kept talking about structural supports, and how she would have made the windows bigger, and designed a see through floor. She probably could have stayed up there for hours, but luckily for me the park ranger announced that the observation deck would be closing in a few minutes.

Percy steered Grover and Annabeth towards the exit, loaded them into the elevator and I was about to get in himself when he realized there were already two other tourists inside. No room for Percy and me.

The park ranger said, "Next car, sir."

"We will get out," Annabeth said. "We can wait with you guys."

Percy said, "Naw, it is okay. We will see you guys at the bottom."

Grover and Annabeth both looked nervous, but they let the elevator door slide shut. Their car disappeared down the ramp.

Now the only people left on the observation deck were Percy and I, a little boy with his parents, the park ranger and the fat lady with her Chihuahua.

Percy smiled at the old fat lady, who smelt like serpents.

The fat lady smiled back and a fork tongue flickered in and out. I noticed Percy saw this by his shocked and stunned reaction.

The jumped down and started yapping at Percy and me.

"Now, now, sonny," the lady said. "Does this look like a good time? We have all these nice people here."

"Doggie!" said the little boy. "Look, a doggie!"

His parents pulled him back.

The Chihuahua bore his teeth at Percy, foam dripping from his black lips.

"Well, son," the fat lady sighed. "If you insist."

Percy asked . "Um, did you just call that Chihuahua your son?"

" _Chimera,_ dear," the fat lady corrected. "Not a Chihuahua. It is an easy mistake to make."

She rolled up her denim sleeves, revealing that the skin of her arms was scaly and green.

When she smiled, I saw that her teeth were fangs. The pupils of her eyes were sideways slits, like a reptile's.

I snarled and said "Echidna!"

The Chihuahua barked louder, and with each bark, it grew. First to the size of a Dobermann, then to a lion. The bark became a roar.

The little boy screamed. His parents pulled him back towards the exit, straight into the park ranger, who stood, paralyzed, gaping at the monster.

The Chimera was now so tall its back rubbed against the roof.

It had the head of a lion with a blood caked mane, the body and hooves of a giant goat, and a serpent for a tail, a three meter long diamondback growing right out of its shaggy behind. The rhinestone dog collar still hung around its neck, and the plate sized dog tag was now easy to read: CHIMERA RABID, FIRE BREATHING, POISONOUS IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL TARTARUS EXT. 954.

Percy was so shocked he had yet to uncap Riptide!

The snake lady made a hissing noise that might've been laughter. "You two should honoured, Lord Zeus rarely allows me to test a hero with one of my brood. For I am the Mother of Monsters, the terrible Echidna!"

I rolled my eyes at her dramatics. To be honest I was in no mood to fight with the innocent people around. If I can, I will try to do damage control and protect the people.

Percy said one of the worst things to say to her, unless you wanted to make her angry "Is that not that a kind of anteater?"

I face palmed at him, as I pulled yanked the chain necklace off my neck and the chains and it grew to nine feet long, I had about four feet in each hand, with about a foot of chain between them.

She howled, her reptilian face turning brown and green with rage. "I hate it when people say that! I hate Australia! Naming that ridiculous animal after me. For that, Percy Jackson, my son shall destroy you!"

I said with a shrug "Well you do hail from the land down under." I then growled and said "A place where you will return!"

The Chimera charged, its lion teeth gnashing at Percy. I managed to shove Percy aside and deflect the bite myself.

Percy ended up next to the family and the park ranger, who were all screaming now, trying to pry open the emergency exit doors.

Percy uncapped my sword, ran to the other side of the deck, and yelled, "Hey, Chihuahua!"

The Chimera turned far faster than Percy expected.

I remembered something… fire… oops.

I opened my mouth to watch its breath, but of course he was already going on attack.

Percy began to could swing his sword; it opened its mouth, emitting a stench like the world's largest barbecue pit, and shot a column of flame straight at him.

Percy dived through the explosion. The carpet burst into flames; the heat was so intense, it seared off his eyebrows. The smell of burnt hair filled the hair.

Where Percy had been standing a moment before was a ragged hole in the side of the Arch, with melted metal steaming around the edges.

Percy went to swing his sword at the Chimera, of course he was going to try to cut off its head, and the problem with that is that stupid dog collar, Riptide bounced harmlessly off. That forced him off balance.

I really wanted to help him, but I needed to keep the people safe.

I forgot about the tail until it latched itself on Percy's calf. Percy tried to into the Chimera's mouth, but the serpent tail wrapped around his ankles and pulled him off balance, and his blade flew out of my hand, spinning out of the hole in the Arch and down towards the Mississippi River.

I completely lost my temper. I knew one thing, and only one thing. **DESTROY**!

With a roar of sheer rage I electrified the chains, they crackled with electricity. I whipped it around my head, before I cracked it like a whip at the Chimera.

Once it wrapped around the monster, I set the chain on fire, not just any fire, but Greek Fire. The green flames were scorching and warping the metal around the monster.

The Chimera tried to escape but I brought the other end of the chain down on top if its head. It stopped struggling. I threw my silver dagger straight into the monster's head, the blade went all the way to its hilt into the monster's head head, causing him to turn to dust.

Percy got to his feet, but he was weaponless. He was green and sick and weak from the poison in his body. He backed up into the whole in the wall.

The snake lady, Echidna, went white from fear. Because I was _**ANGRY**_! My rage was only controlled by the mortals who were in the danger zone.

"If you are the sons of Poseidon," Echidna hissed, "you would not fear water. Jump, Percy Jackson. Show me that water will not harm you. Jump and retrieve your sword. Prove your bloodline." Echidna continued "You have no faith. You do not trust the gods. I cannot blame you, little coward. Better you die now. The gods are faithless. The poison is in your heart."

I snarled and said "You are correct I trust **no** one, **not** **anybody**. I know the Olympians are faithless, but that is not why I am fighting. I am fighting for friends, for family. I am fighting for those who cannot fight themselves. Go back to the Pit from whence you came!"

"Die, faithless one!" Echidna rasped.

"Father, help me," Percy prayed. With that he jumped down into the filthy water of the mighty Mississippi River.

I pulled out my blades in anger. I threw the dagger full force, Echidna was just able to dodge it herself. I knew she was practically defenseless without her attack dog (pun intended).

I charged with only my silver knife.

She tried to slash my face, key word there _tried_ I raised my knife and she cut her own hand off. I threw the knife straight into her throat killing her instantly.

I looked at the shocked mortals.

I used the most powerful Mist manipulation I could muster.

I said to them "This was a terrorist attack; the fat lady was a suicide bomber. Percy Jackson was _**NOT**_ here, you only saw me.

The mortals had a glazed looked in their eye and they repeated what I said.

I used it again, this time far more wide spread, where it would affect most everyone within the next 400 meters (or a quarter mile)

I knew I had to do something I hated, I would have to talk to some of the reports and do a interview or two. At least I could by Percy and the gang some time.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I acted weak, tired, and hurt. Actually no I was not acting. I just was not hiding behind my usual façade. I was not masquerading around with a plastic, stoic face.

The paramedics hooked me up to an IV and began to run tests on me. Reporters flooded to me. Truth be told, I was more nervous now than when I was during all of the fights I have gotten into over the past couple of days!

A reporter shoved a microphone in my face and asked "What exactly happened up there?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but a female reporter asked "Do you have any friends? Any family?

I coughed, a rough, coarse cough that actually hurt. I said in a hoarse voice "A large, old lady was up there one second, and the next second she was gone and there was a hole…" I acted as if I was going into shock.

The reporters started to swarm, but the paramedics pushed them back and said "That is all for today!"

I called in a raspy voice "Wait!"

They turned to me and a mic was pushed into my face. I said "The lady said something about another plot involving kidnapping children, and using them as weapons." With that I faked a black out.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Well here is another chapter.**

 **The story is actually coming along a little smoother than I expected (I hope I did not jinx it).**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me if you have any ideas or suggestions.**

 **Death Fury out!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you for your review "Nobel Six"; I am glad you think so.**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

The Reporters turned to me and a microphone was pushed into my face. I said "The lady said something about another plot involving kidnapping children, and using them as weapons." With that I began faking to black out. I added one more line "The trail of destruction blazes westward…"

I accidently actually fell asleep, and well I need it. In my sleep, I dreamt a dream…

 _ **(Third Person)**_

 _ **(Dream) / (Flash Back)**_

Spider Man webbed Gwen to a cop car after she and him magnetized his web shooters to face the new villain in town. Peter webbed her there for her own good and safety. Spider Man said to Gwen "Gwen I love! Please stick around here and stay safe!" He lifted up his mask and gave Gwen a good bye kiss, before he jumped and web slung away.

Gwen was furious; no furious could not and did not describe her. She was very, very **M -A- D!**! **Pissed** **off!** There were no words to describe her and how she felt. Gwen yelled in fury "You come back here!"

Either Spider Man was not listening or he did not hear her. Truth was he was ignoring her and Gwen knew that and that just threw more fuel to the fire.

A few moments later George Stacey her father came by he saw her webbed to the police car and gave a small smile. Gwen said to her father "Get me out of here!"

George said calmly "Gwen, stop and think about this for a moment. Peter **loves you.** He only did this to protect you. I saw how powerful Electro is first hand."

Gwen calmed down slightly and said "Dad Peter could die if we don't help him! If it was not for you Peter would have died from the lizard! He was barely able to save you! He needs our help!" Gwen began using a pair of keys to saw her way out if the webbing.

George saw there was no way to talk her out of it, she was! More stubborn than Spider Man if that was even plausible! George gave a sigh of defeat and said "OK let me help you..."

A few minutes later George was flooring the police car making it go as fast as it possibility could go. Gwen said "I just hack several cameras they are at the dam and Peter's hurt! Come on can we go any faster?!" Gwen shouted in a panicked tone.

George said "I am going as fast as the car will go. We should be at the dam in another minute or two!'

A few minutes later they saw a lightning show above the dam. Gwen said "Come on faster we need to hurry up!"

George said "I am!'' A few seconds later George said "We are making a new door!" The car was traveling at over a hundred and twenty five miles an hour. The car easily broke through the wall though it did not take the damage one might have expected.

When the cop car busted through the wall they hit Electro just before he could make like an electric fly swatter to zap our Spider themed superhero.

Spider Man said once he realized it was Gwen he yelled "Gwen get out of here **NOW!"** He saw George and said "George you almost died on me the last you helped me! Get you and your daughter **OUT** if here!"

Gwen walked up to Peter and slapped him hard. Gwen said "Family sticks together Web Head!"

Spider Man looked to George for back up but George said "Peter you know how stubborn she is, but I do agree with her. You need help."

Spider Man looked down and muttered "Again..."

Spider Man jumped to a nearby wall just before a bolt of electricity could zap him. Spider Man said "You know you could help with the energy problem with your endless amount if power!" He shot some webbing in his opponent's eyes.

Electro yelled at Spider Man "I am going to zap you to oblivion!"

Spider Man gave a mocking chuckle "Miss me! Miss me! Come on man I know three year olds who can throw something and hit it better than you can!"

George and Gwen were talking to each other during this whole ordeal Gwen gave her father a nod and ran towards the building. George ran to the police car and grabbed the 12 gage three and a half inch Magnum deer slug, shotgun. He fired several rounds towards the Human Battery.

Electro simply avoids the shots fired. He charged up his hands to shoot a lightning bolt towards the Police Captain. But Spider Man intervenes by webbing Electro's eyes and jerked him with all of his strength. This caused Electro to fall slightly, but when Spider Man pulled down, an equal and opposite force pulled him up due to Newton's Law. Spider Man in midair made a pair of web gloves that would help him not get a shocking experience from the man with an electric personality. Spider Man gave Electro a nasty right hook that sent both of them towards the ground.

Spider Man webbed a nearby structure to keep from hitting the ground. Electro however was not so lucky he hit the ground hard. Spider Man webbed him up with plenty of webbing.

Spider Man jumped down next to George and said "We did it! Where is Gwen?' Just then his spider sense went off like a rocket. Spider Man tackled the police officer and ran a bit away from the electric arcs flying from the web cocoon. Spider Man muttered "Me and my big mouth!"

George pulled out a walkie talkie and radioed Gwen and said "Any ideas?"

Spider Man said "Gwen do you think you can hack into the dam's computer? Electro is one big battery. I think we can overload him. But I will need help!"

Gwen said through the radio "You got it Bug Boy!"

Spider Man whined and said "Come on Gwen..."

George chuckled and said "I've got your back Web Slinger!"

Spider Man said in a grateful tone "Thank you..."

Gwen said "Focus Bug Boy! I need you to get towards those cables over there and make a web there when I change the flow of the current of electricity it will in theory shoot a super charged bolt of electricity and overload Electro."

Spider Man said "You got it!" He sprung away he said "Hey you! Yeah the human lightning bolt, think you can caught me?"

Electro said "When I am down with you, you will be wishing you were dead!"

Spider Man said "Is that a threat? Eh I have heard worse! You know you should just unplug and relax!" He let go of a web line and tucked himself into a tight little ball and did a front flip to avoid an electric bolt. Spider Man said "This is a shocking experience meeting you, you know? Maybe if you would jump in the lake over there and cool off we can have a cup of cover and talk?!"

"Shut up you fool!" Electro bellowed out in rage.

Spider Man smirked under the mask and said "Careful there Lightning Rod you might blow a fuse!" Spider Man was trying and succeeding in making Electro angry and to make him follow him.

Spider Man muttered "Almost there!"

Gwen was watching the whole thing and was wishing Peter the best. She finished hacking a minute ago now all Spidey would have to do is lead Electro towards the broken electric cable make a web to focus the electric surge and Electro should either overload and become pixie dust or he will become even more powerful.

George reloaded the shotgun and was thinking about following Spider Man but chose to go to his daughter. George ran inside the building and easily found Gwen. He saw Spider Man and Electro fighting, he saw Electro miss and hit the dam. George muttered "I have a bad feeling about this!"

Gwen did not pay any mind to her father she was paying too much attention to Electro and to Spider Man. She saw Spider Man moving the cables and then she twisted the key and George pushed the button that was on the other side of the room. They then saw a flash of red lightning coming from where Spider Man was not seen from the electricity hit Electro solidly in the chest then Electro bellowed out **"YES GIVE ME MORE POWER!"**

Electro kept getting bigger and bigger then Electro felt something wrong "What is happening to me?!" And then without warning Electro shot much of his energy towards the control station where Gwen and George Stacy were hiding.

Spider Man webbed Electro and grabbed all of the cables in one hand it he used himself to directly overload Electro. In a massive colorful explosion Electro was no more or so Spider Man thought for years until he meant Electro again.

Spider Man was sore, stiff and in pain from having so much energy course through his body he muttered still dazed "That was shocking." Spider Man looked over to where Gwen and her father were and saw all of the damage done. Spider Man being in pain or not was going to get to Gwen! He webbed a nearby tower and pulled back and he let it sling shot him towards his destination he made a few more web lines and he made it there in record time.

Spider Man shouted at the top of his lungs "GWEN?! _**GWEN**_?!" He picked up a huge piece of concrete that must have weighed between eight and ten tons he threw it to the side as though it was a paper weight. HE felt something moving on the other side of the concrete and yelled "I am going to move this. Get out of the way!" He heard a faint reply of " _ok_ ".

Spider Man used every ounce of strength he had to move this wall of concrete. It was smooth so he had to use his sticking powers. This slab of concrete weighed between twelve and fifteen tons. It was above his limit in strength but he somehow managed to pick it up and drop it a few feet away from himself. He saw Gwen rushing towards him and he saw George following his daughter closely behind gingerly holding his arm. Spider Man collapsed in exhaustion, but before he could hit the ground Gwen caught him.

Spider Man said in a tired, weary voice "We did it! Yay!"

Gwen pulled up his masked and kissed him with passion. Peter's signature grin graced his face. Gwen whispered "We did it Bug Boy…"

Spider Man said as he nestled his head in the crook of Gwen's neck and shoulder "Remind me not to use myself has a conductor it is a very painful and a very shocking experience!"

Gwen just gave him another kiss though shorter this time.

George said "Good job son you did it! You saved all of us!"

Spider Man's spider sense flared up with vengeance. Spider Man leapt to his feet and said with an authority "It's not over yet…" Just then a piece of the dam fell Spider Man grabbed Gwen by the waist and he gripped George by underneath his armpit. Spider Man jumped and web slung lead by instinct up to one of the highest points in the area. It was still firm and solid. From the vantage point they saw parts of the dam breaking apart and down. Spider Man said sternly "Stay here!" He then jumped down head first towards the structurally damaged dam. He shot webbing to help hold its structure integrity. Spider Man was stilled drained from all of his work before he was slower and weaker than before, but he was doing a good job. He picked up several large slabs of concrete and pressed against the wall then webbed it to help hold it in place.

Then the last thing they needed happened… A tremor. The earth shook but only slightly. It was not much but it was enough to jolt Gwen who was not expecting this and caused her to fell off. Spider Man rushed towards her sensing her in danger he caught her. He said with a nervous chuckle "I thought I told you to stay put up there?!" Spider Man was scared which was why he was joking.

Gwen pointed towards the ground and said "Put me down over there."

Spider Man smirked under his mask and said with amusement evident in his voice "Yes your highness!" He chuckled when Gwen playfully slapped his shoulder has he put her down. Spider Man webbed the building where George was still waiting he quickly crawled up the rest of the way not wanting to use too much more web fluid than necessary. He got to the top and said with a chuckle "Need a ride down stranger?"

George smiled and said playing along "That sounds like a good idea."

Spider Man asked "How do you want to go down? A piggy back ride?"

George said "That sounds like the safest bet." It was awkward for both of them. George was more than twice the size of Peter that and Peter saw George as his dad. Since Uncle Ben's death George and there has well as the rest of his family. A month or so after Uncle Ben died Helen Stacey died due to cancer. Peter was there my both Gwen and George. Peter told Gwen and later during a fire George found out about the boy behind the mask for Spider Man. They were family.

A few minutes later Spider Man and George made it to the stable part of the dam.

Gwen and George shared an embrace. Spider Man took off his mask and smiled. Peter let a small tear of happiness fall to the ground.

George said "Peter you caught something special!"

Gwen let go of her father and gave Peter a kiss on the cheek and said "I love you Bug Boy!"

Peter said in a whiney tone "I **hate** that nick name!"

Gwen kissed him on the cheek and said with a smirk "Do you now?"

Peter said "Eh.. it still is not my favorite but you can call me it."

Playing his George said with a small smirk lips "Ok Bug Boy…"

Peter said in a cold tone and with a slight growl "Don't push **YOUR** luck George…." Peter let the words set in before saying " **Only** **Gwen** can call me that **NO ONE** else **period**."

George just chuckled that was all he could do.

Spider Man felt the ground below them start to crunch and give away. He grabbed Gwen by the coat and George by his belt. The ground gave way. Spider Man shot a bio - cable and it hit the same tower that they were on earlier but to Spider Man's horror Gwen's coat ripped. Spider Man through George towards a safe place and shot some webbing to cushion his fall. Gwen was falling looking up at Spider Man. Spider Man was falling head first towards his love. Gwen was falling at breakneck speed. Spider Man webbed her center of mass then shot another web line and it hit the wall. The wall gave and now debris was falling towards Gwen. In Gwen's eyes there was no fear, only trust and love. Spider Man shot several more web lines hoping for one to catch. A few did catch but the stop was so sudden, too sudden. The stop caused Gwen's neck to break killing her instantly.

Spider Man ripped off his mask and jumped down the rest of the way. Gwen was still a foot off the ground. He felt for a pulse and found none. He cried **"GWEN!"** But she was already dead. There was nothing for him to do. Peter wept over the dead body of his first love. Peter kissed the still warm lips of Gwen Stacey. But nothing happened Gwen was dead. Peter was heartbroken and felt dead inside. Peter felt numb, lifeless, dead.

Peter cradled Gwen's lifeless form before he carefully made a sling of web, he then with great care he gently placed her in the sling. He put it over his shoulder as he slowly, weakly, numbly crawled up the sheer wall. The weight of Gwen's body crushed his soul and spirit. Gwen's lifeless form weighed more than the gravitational pull of a black hole. Peter felt hollow and alone, he felt numb and lifeless, he felt dead inside. Peter crawled up and out of the pit. But Peter felt his soul leave him and find a lower place to reside than just the bottom of the pit. Peter managed to climb out of the physical pit. He gingerly took off the sling and placed Gwen on the cold hard ground.

Peter looked because his spider sense went off he saw a piece of the dam fall then something hit him he forgot about George!

Peter left Gwen and ran in hopes of saving George. But when Peter got there it was too late. A rusty piece of rebar sticking out of George's stomach, his lower legs was crushed by debris. George looked at Peter and said in a pained voice "Peter… Peter promise me you will take care of Gwen…. Please do not blame yourself it is not your fault…"

Peter fell to his knees and wept he felt a hand weakly caress his cheek he opened his eyes so see George's eyes filled with love and pride before George said "Take care of yourself…" Before George took his finale breathe and died.

Peter lost everything, just as he thought he saved them, he lost them. He lost his first love. He lost his father figure. He lost his family.

Peter numbly stood up and pulled out the rebar and removed the concrete then he picked up George's body and jumped down to where he had laid Gwen.

Peter left his mask down at the bottom of the pit never wanting to wear it again.

Spider Man died.

Peter was the walking dead.

The Staceys were no more, they all dead. Helen died from cancer a few months earlier. George and Gwen died in a battle. Spider Man died due to being crushed by the loss. Peter had no life in him but he walked out more dead than alive.

 **(Flash Back) / (Dream)**

Peter saw himself walking in Central Park with MJ one of his childhood friends and new recruit for the Web Warriors as Spider Woman. Mary Jane was one of the few who know how much the lost of Gwen Stacey affected him.

Tonight would have been the anniversary of Gwen's death. Normally Peter would have been at her gravesite or in his too alone... But tonight he wanted to talk with MJ about something...

Peter was shadowing his younger self and MJ. They walked to a bench and watched the moon's silvery refection in the Huston Bay. Peter remembered those words. MJ gave him a hug of comfort and give him a small kiss on the cheek.

Peter knew it was nothing more than a sister comforting her little brother. But with hindsight he could have told Ava that there was no romantic feelings for MJ and thought of her as a sister. Peter saw for the look of pain and betrayal in the eyes of Ava Alaya.

A couple of weeks after he saw Spider Man moving into the Avenger Tower.

Peter saw himself taking off his mask revealing four long nasty, bloody cuts on his face. Peter could still faintly feel those scars on his face. Ava found out and she thought he was cheating and well... One thing leads to another...

 _ **(flash back of what happened)**_

Peter felt a vibration traveling along the cold steel floor up his bed and into his body.

He lifted his head and saw Ava standing in front of him with her arms crossed looking extremely pissed off.

Peter whined "And today was going so well!"

Ava growled and asked "Why did you?!"

Peter confused asked "What?"

Ava picked Peter up by the front of his shirt and growled "Why... did... you kiss her!?"

Peter was afraid of Ava and his well being, she never truly hurt him, except for the time she was a goblin, she only scared you half to death. But should you spar her, then she would beat you, but not maim, no blood was ever drawn except for the occasional bloody nose.

Ava growled and said "You have five seconds before I..."

Peter cut her off and said "She is an old friend of mine."

Ava growled even louder. But at least she let go of Peter who fell on his butt.

Peter muttered on the floor while getting up said "Jealous much Kitty?"

Ava who heard this slashed at Peter with her claws she nailed him on his left side of his face. She clawed his face leaving four bloody streaks on his face, one was right above his eyebrow missed the eye and fished below. Another claw went to the left of his eye barely missing it and went all the way down to his chin. The other two were to the left of the last one and also went all the way down to his chin.

Peter instantly clutched his new wounds, he let a few tears fell, not from the fresh wound, but to his shattered heart. Peter sniffled trying not to cry but he hurt too much. This broken heart of his hurt worse than any dissection that Doc Ock did on him it hurt worse than all of the beatings he took altogether. It hurt worse than all of the physical pain he felt. It hurt worse than Scarlet Spider's betrayal. It hurt almost as much as Uncle Ben's death.

Then the song to " _ **Would it Matter**_?" by " _ **Skillet**_ " began.

 _If I wasn't here tomorrow would anybody care  
If my time was up I'd want to know  
You were happy I was there_

 _If I wasn't here tomorrow would anyone lose sleep  
If I wasn't hard and hollow  
Then maybe you would miss me_

 _I know I'm a mess and I want to be someone  
Someone that I'd like better  
I can never forget, so don't remind me of it forever_

 _What if I just pulled myself together  
Would it matter at all  
What if I just tried not to remember  
Would it matter at all  
All the chances that have passed me by  
Would it matter if I gave it one more try  
Would it matter at all_

 _If I wasn't here tomorrow would anybody care  
Still stuck inside this sorrow  
I got nothing and going nowhere_

 _I know I'm a mess and I want to be someone  
Someone that I'd like better  
Can you help me forget, don't want to feel like this forever_

 _If I left tomorrow would anybody care  
Stuck in this sorrow  
Going nowhere_

Ava saw what she did and looked at her blood soaked hand, she saw Peter's skin underneath her nails. It made her stomach twist into knots.

Peter refused to turn his back on her. He refused to strike back at her, if it was anyone, anyone else (except for Gwen of course) Peter would have struck back.

Ava could not believe what she had done. She could smell Peter's blood mixed in with his tears. She felt nauseas and began to feel sick.

They both heard someone call for Ava. Ava left as quickly as she could without saying a single word to Peter. She rushed off without looking back.

Peter watched her rush away from him, when she rounded the corner he shut the doors and began to bawl. After crying until he ran out of tears and until he lost his voice. He went into the bathroom to clean up the wounds. To his surprise the wounds were not healing like they should have been. He mashed the mirror cutting his knuckles against the glass. He tried to speak but no words came out...

Peter felt his heart shatter, he hurt _**SOO**_ very much. The broken heart of his hurt worse than any dissection that Doc Ock did on him, it hurt worse than all of the beatings he took altogether. It hurt worse than all of the physical pain he felt. It hurt worse than Scarlet Spider's betrayal. It hurt almost as much as Uncle Ben's death. It hurt so very much, he hadn't felt this low and had the urge in a long time.

Peter slammed the door shut and began to weep. After crying until he ran out of tears and until he lost his voice. He wanted to destroy everything in his room, but cleaned everything up there was nothing left in his room.

He went into the bathroom to clean up the wounds. To his surprise the wounds were not healing like they should have been. He mashed the mirror cutting his knuckles against the glass. He tried to speak but no words came out.

Peter tried again but all he got was a sigh.

Peter frowned, and tried again, still nothing. Peter thought _'Screw the saying ' when you don't succeed try, try, try again!' Well screw that idea!'_

Peter went into his closest and pulled out one of his Spider Man suits. He changed into it quickly. He put on the mask and felt the mask soak up the blood.

 _ **(Back to present dream)**_

Peter moved in with the Avengers because after Ava found out about MJ her tiger side refused to listen to reason so he had to lay low for a while and MJ did not fare any better either.

The scene changed yet again. This time it was a month after moving in with the Avengers.

It was Valentine's Day. Peter still had a fairly decent wound but was healing good though it was healing slower than normal.

Peter saw himself dressed up in a pair of slacks and a blue polo. He was a lot smaller and skinnier back then. He was carrying a box of Ava's favorite chocolate and a bouquet of red roses and wild white tiger lilies. They happened to be her favorite types of flowers.

Peter remembered this scene all too well. He saw his younger self walk to the door when he got there he knocked on the metal door. The he heard some moaning he thought at first it was Ava satisfying herself.

Peter gave a growl but this was the past and he was reliving his memories. He saw himself shut his eyes and focused his spider sense to get a "peek" at his girlfriend, but what he found instead hurt him.

In the room with his girlfriend Black Panther was making out with her. His hands run up and down her body causing her to purr loudly and shamelessly.

Older Peter tried to walk away but he was forced to watch Peter the younger literally kick in the door and webbed T'Challa from behind and yanked the young prince of Wakanda away from **HIS** tiger.

The older Peter sighed and said to both himself and to the ghost of his past "Why Tiger?! I love you..." He thought gloomily " _I have always loved you!... Why did you do this to me?!"_

Ava stepped in and forcefully shoved Peter out of her room telling him it is over...

Older Peter glanced at his wrists there were still a few self inflicted scars though most were done to him. Not that it made a difference.

The metallic room of SHIELD dissolved and he saw Spider Man swinging. He was holding a small box in his hand. Peter smiled warmly at the memory.

Peter was floating as he followed Spider Man. Spider Man did an impressive back flip and landed silently on a roof top. He quickly changed into a long sleeved button up blue plad shirt and a pair of baggy cargo pants.

Peter watched the younger version of himself walk over to a black haired, brown eyed, Latino female. He saw Ava and Peter talking, Ava quickly grabbed Peter's sleeve and pulled it up. Older Peter grimaced at Ava's reaction. Ava stood in shock at first then slowly too a step back and she had tears in her eyes. Younger Peter's began to water as well. The two teenaged superheroes kissed a long passionate kiss. The Ava had to part for air. Peter got his signature grin on his face and the glazed look over his eyes. The Older Peter for the very first time saw his face. It was priceless!

The scene faded yet again and he saw himself sparring all of the Avengers, the New Warriors and the Ultimate, minus of course White Tiger. She was doing something else. This was about a year after he and Ava got back together. And about six months after he officially agreed to train and work with the Avengers part time.

Peter chuckled at his younger self's misfortunes. He was literally learning on the fly. This was the first time he sparred **ALL** of them at once. He was able to take out Nova, Iron Man, Zabu (a saber tooth tiger). But he was Thor dropped his hammer and that shook things up a bit. Captain America threw his shield he dodge but Hawk Eye then shot several arrows at him he managed to twist and catch them, but when he landed Black Widow kicked him in his face. He webbed the First Avenger's feet pulling his feet out from under but Iron Fist managed to hit several pressure points on him. Spider Man gave a back flip and gave a solid kick to his back. Power Man came and gave him a giant bear hug squeezing the life out of Peter.

Captain America said concerned but he knew Spidey would not quit or go down without a fight "Just give up son. We can spar again later."

Spider Man growled but he then smirked, he relaxed and slowed down his heart beat. Power Man panicked and dropped him.

Black Widow who was adapt for first aid rushed to the young Spider's side. She put to fingers on his neck's vein. But before she was able to read a pulse Spider Man head butted her and webbed her to the floor. Her Sparta kicked Power Man and sent him flying threw the training wall. Iron Fist and Captain America double teamed Spider Man and they easily over took him. Hawk Eye began shooting at the spider themed superhero. Spider Man ultimately lost the fight.

The scene faded and he saw a vision from a few months after the first sparring match. He saw a weak, injured man barely limping into the lower level of Avenger Tower. He winced at the memory he was captured by the Sinister Six; Doc Ock, Kraven the Hunter, Beetle, Rhino, Scorpion, and Task Master.

He was captured for about two weeks while they experimented and tortured him.

In every way imaginable ye he somehow managed to survive and not break.

A few minutes later he was patching himself up in the medical wing of the large tower.

The Older Peter shook his head he saw himself for the first time. He could the bones of Hus shoulder blades, he saw in a deep hole in his chest he saw his heart beating. He dry heaved looking at all of the damage done. He was unmasked he was literally skinned alive by Kraven. Kraven drove one if his blades through his bone. Peter refused to show anything. But did it. He stayed conscience the whole time enduring everything.

JARVIS alerted everyone of an intruder.

Everyone rushed down to see an almost dead Spider Man. Tony Stark fainted from the sight.

Black Widow did have a maternal instinct she had to drug Peter then she personally took care of then wounds. She stitched the wounds she was able but she had to cauterize some of the wounds shut. She worked quickly and efficiently until she was done. A few minutes later Doctor Bruce Banner showed up and began to go over the wounds. He doubled the pain killers for the boy. Bruce had to leave otherwise the Other Guy, the big mean and green would wake up. Spider Man was one of the few to be one of Hulk's good friend.

The scene changed and Peter saw the Younger version of himself being watched by Ava it was about four days since coming home.

Peter weakly opened his eyes Ava crashed her lips against his and her tears flowed freely. She was weeping on Peter's chest telling him how much he meant to her and how much she loved him.

The salty tears stung his open wounds. He kissed back very weakly because he was still weak from blood loss, missing tissue, no food for his accelerated metabolism for a week was like going without food for a month or more without food.

The scene faded and it came back in a different place. It was several years later or a few weeks ago...

Peter saw Spider Man shove Iron Fist and White Tiger out of the way of danger. He looked at White Tiger she was about to kiss the Spider Man on the ground he could see the tears from White Tiger, Iron Fist was not fairing much better.

Peter saw his chest rise no more but a golden flash of light happened...

Everything went black again... Cold and dark...

 _ **(Flash Back) / (Dream)**_

Spider Man was web slinging down one of the many New York City's streets. He did a back flip and landed on a water tower and look down at the city below, he was king of New York. Spider Man said to himself "Today looks like a nice slow day, maybe I can actually do my homework on time this time!" Just then an explosion happened. Spider Man gave a sigh of annoyance "Me and my big mouth!" As he jumped head first off of the water tower, he waited till he was just a few feet above the ground before he webbed a building, he gained enough momentum to reach his top speed within the first few swings.

When Spider Man reached the place where the explosion had occurred the building was on fire, he said "Oh no..." He wasted no time to jump into the burning build through a broken window. He called into the smoke fill room "Everyone follow my voice, I will get you out!" Just then his spider sense went off, he jump back and a piece of the roof land on where he was standing. Spider Man said after landing on some out coals "Talk about a hot foot!" He decided to waste no more time on waiting for people, he heard a baby's cry. He ran to a locked door and he kicked it in easily he searched the room and found a cradle he saw the baby, he said to the baby "It's going to be Ok." He gently picked the baby up and jumped out of the window.

Spider Man landed next to several firefighters and a woman, the woman said "My baby!"

Spider Man gently handed the baby girl to the woman and said "Cute kid."

The woman said "Thank you for saving my baby!"

Spider Man heard that with his sensitive hearing but made no reply because he already was going back in for another round of checking the building, by now the fire was raging and it began melting his suit a little but Spider Man ignored it completely he was focused on the people who were stuck in here. He heard someone call out from a room across the hall he ran to the door and said "I am going to kick in the door, back up and get away from it!" He heard several pairs of feet scurry away. He Sparta kicked it the door in, he saw four people in his spider sense went off and he caught a piece of burning roof up before it could kill the civilians he said in a strained voice "This is heavy you know, you may want GET OUT OF HERE!" The people did not need to be told twice they got out of the room where Spider Man dropped the piece of wood. His spider sense was going crazy. H saw the people and called "This way! I have an idea!" They ran to him. He made a window bigger by taking down part of the wall. He made a web slide and said "Everyone down the slide, please keep hands and feet in the slide at all times." He picked up a little boy and put him then gave him a gentle push. The boy slid down to safety. Soon the rest slid down eagerly.

Before the last one left he asked a old man "Are you people the last ones?"

The old man replied and said "I think so."

Spider Man helped him up and pushed him down. Spider Man could not afford 'I think so' he needs to know if there is anybody left. He focused on his spider sense an searched the rest of the building no one else was in. But he checked anyway. His spider sense was giving him a massive head ache. He had several first degree burns all over his body. Spider Man was ready to leave when a piece of roofing fell and land on the only way out of the building.

Spider Man groaned and said "Why is this always my luck? I just had to say something!" Spider Man could feel his skin beginning to melt in some places. He began to see black dots inn his vision he said "I forgot I have a communicator." He pushed a button that was a distress call. Spider Man made a web dome around himself it actually blocked a lot of heat. Spider Man checked his web shooters he was almost out and he had no more spare web fluid.

Spider Man began to black out when he heard someone call out "Peter!"

Spider Man called in a pained voice "Here!" He weakly tried to break the web dome to no avail, he got a little liquid from behind his belt he put some on his hand and smeared it across the inside of his web dome. In the matter of seconds the dome was dissolved. Spider Man called out again going towards the voice on the verge of blacking out due to both pain and to smoke inhalation "I'm here!"

Spider Man muttered despite being in great pain and grave danger "I need to invest in a fire retardant suit as well as a filter for a mask! And I need ice webbing that is the new project!" Spider Man weakly went toward the voice. His spider sense went off he went to web the ceiling but he was out of web fluid and he fell down a few floors. He looked up and saw a shadow through the flames and said with a pained groaned "Watch out the first step is a drop off!"

The dark figure jumped down from the height and landed a few feet from where Spider Man had landed. Spider Man felt himself being picked up with great care and he shut his eyes and relaxed.

Power Man was the only one able to enter the building because of his skin he was able to handle the heat as well as anything that would have fell on him, the only other person he might have been able to help would have been Nova but he was with the guardians of the galaxy and will not be back for a few days. Power Man gently picked up the downed Spider. He lowered his massive shoulder and ran down the hall. He broke through the outside wall and made sure to land on his back.

The two heroes fell about two stories and Power Man made sure to land on his back in order to protect Spider Man from anymore injury.

 **(Present Time)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I woke up with a start. I bolted up right and saw I was in a classical white room of a hospital. I looked around the room and I saw I was hooked to a heart monitor. My heart beat was one hundred and fifty beats per minute. I was breathing heavily as I tried to calm myself down, but I was on the verge of a panic attack.

I began to take, slow, long, deep breathes. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Once I was calmed down, I looked around the room.

I looked out the window and saw the moon. I now knew it was at night. I felt tired despite the sleep I got.

The dream, nightmare literally seemed to drain me. I felt far weaker than I should have. I have a massive headache. I was sore all over. In short, I was not in a very good mood.

I unhooked myself from the IV and the heart monitor.

After I did that I stood up, it was then that I realized I was in a hospital gown. I saw all of the scars all over my body, right now each and everyone one of them ached.

I reached around my neck and I felt my chain necklace as it appeared on, as did my watches (my web shooters). I closed my eyes as I felt for my trench coat. I found it down stairs. I willed the shadows to cover it, then it teleported to me. I put it on.

After a few minutes of putting it on I was ready to roll.

I was still confused as Percy, but I was ready to go on. I jumped into a shadow that faced westward and I shadow traveled towards where I felt the sea not close to the ocean…

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Well here is another chapter.**

 **I know this chapter was confusing, but that was actually the point. Peter's origins are coming, from his first life, and he has not thought of it in millions of years so he pretty much forgot about it, now he is forced to remember by an unknown force. So his memory is a little jumbled.**

 **That and I wanted to talk about his past, but I kept getting distracted. But instead of deleting it, I chose to keep it and make this chapter.**

 **I hope this chapter was decent enough.**

 **Next time Percy, Annabeth and Grover meet "the god who has turned" who do you think it should be;**

 **Ares**

 **Hercules**

 **Author's Choice**

 **Your Pick**

… **.**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me!**

 **Death Fury signing off for now!**

 **PS I will update " One Thing Leads to Another" either tomorrow or the next day.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you for all of the support I am getting.**

 **Thank you "** **dragonorp" for your review; "Hercules** " **? Well there is one vote**

 **Thank you "Tabris the 17th angle" for your review as well; you wanted something different, and you chose author's choice. I hope this chapter is unique enough!**

 **Thank you "Man285" for you review as well; glad you think I did a good job.**

 **Thank you "Nobel Six" for your review as well; you also chose author's pick. I am glad you think my work is 'awesome' .**

 **Author's side note: I will try to complete this story before June 9** **th** **2017\. After that I will not be around computers so much, so I will be unable to update this story as much.**

 **The story continues…**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

The next afternoon, June 14, seven days before the solstice, our train rolled into Denver. Grover, Annabeth and I have not eaten since the night before in the dining car, somewhere in Kansas. We had not taken a shower since

Half Blood Hill, and I was sure that much was obvious. We had no signs of Peter since he told me to leave him behind, though I heard his voice on the radio, so we knew he was alive, or was alive..

"Let's try to contact Chiron," Annabeth said. "I want to tell him about your talk with the river

spirit."

"We can't use phones, right?" I asked confused.

"I am not talking about phones Sea Weed Brain." She told me with a huff.

We wandered through downtown for about half an hour, though I was not sure what Annabeth was looking for. The air was dry and hot, which felt weird after the humidity of St Louis.

Everywhere we turned, the Rocky Mountains seemed to be staring at me, like a tidal wave about to crash into the city.

Finally we found an empty do it yourself car wash.

We veered towards the stall furthest from the street, keeping our eyes open for patrol cars. We were three adolescents hanging out at a car wash without a car; any cop worth his doughnuts would figure we were up to no good.

"What exactly are we doing?" I asked, as Grover took out the spray gun.

"It is seventy five cents." he grumbled. "And I have only got two quarters left." He turned to Annabeth and asked "Annabeth?"

"Do not look at me." she said. "The dining car wiped me out."

I said "If Peter was here he would have easily done anything with the money!" I reached into my pocket and I fished out my last bit of change and passed Grover a quarter, which left me two nickels and one drachma from Medusa's place.

"Excellent," Grover said. "We could do it with a spray bottle, of course, but the connection is not as good, and my arm gets tired of pumping."

I asked "What are you talking about?''

He fed in the quarters and set the knob to _fine mist_ "IMing."

"Instant messaging?" I guessed

" _Iris_ messaging," Annabeth corrected. "The rainbow goddess Iris carries messages for the gods. If

you know how to ask, and she is not too busy, she will do the same for half bloods."

I said "Uh... how exactly do you summon the goddess with a spray gun?"

Grover pointed the nozzle in the air and water hissed out in a thick white mist. "Unless you know an easier way to make a rainbow."

Sure enough, late afternoon light filtered through the vapor and broke into colors.

Annabeth held her palm out to me. "Drachma, please."

I handed it over.

She raised the coin over her head. "O goddess, accept our offering."

She threw the drachma into the rainbow. It disappeared in a golden shimmer.

"Half Blood Hill," Annabeth requested.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then I was looking through the mist at strawberry fields, and the Long Island Sound in the distance. We seemed to be on the porch of the Big House. Standing with his back to us at the railing was a sandy haired guy in shorts and an orange tank top. He was holding a bronze sword and seemed to be staring intently at something down in the meadow.

"Luke!" I called.

He turned, eyes wide. I could swear he was standing a meter in front of me through a screen of mist, except I could only see the part of him that appeared in the rainbow.

"Percy!" His scarred face broke into a grin. "Is that Annabeth, too? Thank the gods! Are you guys okay?"

"We are… uh… fine," Annabeth stammered. She was madly straightening her dirty T shirt, trying to comb the loose hair out of her face. "We thought… Chiron…. I mean…"

"He is down at the cabins." Luke's smile faded. "We are having some issues with the campers.

Listen, is everything cool with you? Is Grover all right?"

"I am right here!" Grover called. He held the nozzle out to one side and stepped into Luke's line of

vision. "What kind of issues?"

Just then a big Lincoln Continental pulled into the car wash with its stereo turned to maximum hip hop.

As the car slid into the next stall, the bass from the subwoofers vibrated so much, it shook the pavement.

"Chiron had to – what is that noise?! Luke yelled over the sound.

"I will take care of it!" Annabeth yelled right back, looking very relieved to have an excuse to get out of sight. "Grover, come on!"

"What?" Grover said. "But…"

"Give Percy the nozzle and come on!" she ordered. She can be _**very**_ bossy!

Grover muttered something about girls being harder to understand than the Oracle at Delphi, then he handed me the spray gun and followed Annabeth.

I read adjusted the hose so I could keep the rainbow going and still see Luke.

"Chiron had to break up a fight." Luke shouted to me over the music. "Things are pretty tense here,

Percy. Word leaked out about the Zeus Poseidon standoff. We are still not sure how probably the same scumbag who summoned the hellhound. Now the campers are starting to take sides. It is shaping up like the Trojan War all over again. Aphrodite, Hercules and Apollo are backing Poseidon, more or less. Athena is backing Zeus."

I shuddered to think that Clarisse's cabin would ever be on my dad's side for anything. In the next stall, I heard Annabeth and some guy arguing with each other, and then the music's volume decreased drastically.

"So what is your status?" Luke asked me. "Chiron will be sorry he missed you."

I told him pretty much everything, including my dreams. It felt so good to see him, to feel like I was back at camp even for a few minutes, that I did not realize how long I had talked until the beeper went off on the spray machine, and I realized I only had one more minute before the water shut off.

"I wish I could be there," Luke told me. "We can't help from here, I am afraid, but listen… it had to be Hades who took the master bolt. He was there at Olympus at the winter solstice. I was chaperoning a field trip and we saw him."

"But Chiron said the gods can't take each other's magic items directly."

"That is true…" Luke said, looking troubled. "Still… Hades has the helmet of darkness. How could anybody else sneak into the throne room and steal the master bolt? You would have to be invisible."

We were both silent, until Luke seemed to realize what he had said. "Oh, hey," he protested. "I did not mean Annabeth! She and I have known each other forever. She would never… I mean, she is like a little sister to me!"

I wondered if Annabeth would like that description. In the stall next to us, the music stopped completely. A man screamed in terror, car doors slammed and the Lincoln peeled out of the car wash.

"You had better go see what that was." Luke said. "Listen friend, are you wearing the flying shoes? I will feel better if I know they have done you some good."

"Oh… uh, yeah!" I tried not to sound like a guilty liar. "Yeah, they have come in real handy!" Which was half true, very useful for Grover, but not so much for me?

"Really?" He grinned. "They fit and everything?"

The water shut off. The mist started to evaporate.

"Well, take care of yourself out there in Denver." Luke called, his voice getting fainter. "And tell

Grover it will be better this time! Nobody will get turned into a pine tree if he just -"

But the mist was gone, and Luke's image faded to nothing. I was alone in a wet, empty car wash stall.

Annabeth and Grover came around the corner, laughing, but stopped when they saw my face.

Annabeth's smile faded. "What happened, Percy? What did Luke say?"

'"Not much," I lied, my stomach feeling as empty as a Big Three cabin. "Come on, let's find some dinner."

A few minutes later, we were sitting at a booth in a gleaming chrome diner. All around us, families were eating burgers and drinking milkshakes and sodas.

Finally the waitress came over. She raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Well?"

I said, "We, um, want to order dinner."

"You kids have money to pay for it?" She asked us

Grover's lower lip quivered. I was afraid he would start bleating, or worse, start eating the linoleum. Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger.

I was trying to think up a sob story for the waitress when, the air became chilly then someone dressed in a trench with a crazy look in his eyes came in. All eyes turned to him. The person said "Yeah, I have the money on me. Sorry Perse, I got lost in the traffic and I thought you meant the café on the other side of the block."

" **PETER!"** Grover, Annabeth and I shouted at once.

Peter chuckled and said "Yup! In the flesh."

The waitress looked at Peter with a little fear in her eyes, Peter may have been 12 years old, but he still had a crazy look in his eyes that spoke danger. She asked "What-"

Just then a rumble shook the whole building; a huge motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.

All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns.

The seat was leather, but leather that looked like… well, Caucasian human skin.

The guy on the bike would have made pro wrestlers run for Mama. He was dressed in a black muscle shirt and black jeans and a brown leather duster.

He had electric blue eyes and a near perfect face I had ever seen – handsome, I guess, but wicked – with a blond hair that Cascaded down to his shoulders like a golden water fall. He had a few scars on his cheeks.

As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All the people rose, as if they were hypnotized, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat down again. Everybody went back to their conversations.

The waitress blinked, as if somebody had just pressed the rewind button on her brain. She asked us again, "You kids have money to pay for it?"

The biker said, "It is on me." He slid into our booth, which was way too small for him, and crowded Annabeth against the window.

He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?"

He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she had been spun around, and then marched back towards the kitchen.

Peter growled as he put his hands into one of his trench coat pockets. He seemed more than ready to attack this guy, the look in Peter's eye told me he wanted nothing more than to kill him.

The biker looked at me. I had feelings started boiling in my stomach. Anger, resentment, bitterness. I wanted to hit a wall. I wanted to pick a fight with somebody. Who did this guy think he was?

He gave me a wicked grin. "So you are old Seaweed's kid, huh?"

I should have been surprised, or scared, but instead I felt like I was looking at my stepdad, Gabe. I wanted to rip this guy's head off. "What is it to you?!" I said with a growl.

Annabeth's eyes flashed me a warning. "Percy, this is -"

The biker raised his hand.

"It is ok," he said. "I like a little attitude. Long as you remember who is the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

Peter said coldly "One of the biggest lies of history. One of the most famous hero of old, who _**murdered**_ his own wife."

I looked confused, I tried to remember some stories that Mr. Brunner tried to teach me, the only Heroes that came to mind was my name sake, Perseus, my half brother Theseus, and Hercules, but didn't they all die?

I looked to Peter and Annabeth for answers.

Peter spat coldly "Hercules, son of Zeus."

Hercules growled and said "I said a little attitude! I could turn you into a dog if you insult me."

Peter was about ready to do something stupid, but Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder, I put my hand on his other, he was nearly ready to attack still, but he was able to hold his tongue.

Annabeth asked a little apprehensive "What are you here for Lord Hercules"

Hercules said "What I am here for – I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."

The waitress came back with heaping trays of food – cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings and chocolate shakes.

Hercules handed her a few gold drachmas.

She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these are not…"

Hercules pulled sat up straight and stretched out showing off just how big he was. 'Problem, sweetheart?'

The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.

"You can't just do that," I told Hercules before Peter could even speak. "You can't just threaten people!"

Hercules laughed. Are you kidding? I love this country! Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favour."

Peter said at the same time I said "Sorry we are not interested" I said "What favour could I do for a god?"

"Something a god does not have time to do himself. It is nothing much. I left my club at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little… date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me." He said to us.

"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?" I asked.

"Why don't I turn you into prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I do not feel like it. A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."

I wanted to punch this guy, but somehow, I knew he was waiting for that. I knew he was playing with me, pushing my buttons to get my anger going.

He would just love it if I attacked. I didn't want to give him the satisfaction.

"We are not interested," I said. "We have already got a quest."

Hercules's electric blue eyes made me see things I did not want to see, I saw blood and smoke and corpses on the battlefield. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that _item_ was first stolen"

He licked his lips, as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry. "I am the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."

"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"

"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Thanks," I grumbled.

Peter snarled and said "I know for a fact Hades did not steal the bolt, I was down there for some time. He does hold a grudge to be sure, but he is not going to start World War 3, that would be Ares, if legends hold true to his bloodlust."

Hercules smirked evilly and said "Yes, the old war god and his blood lust. HE may have stole it." H paused and said "Hey, I am a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I will help you on your way. I will arrange a ride west for you and your friends."

'"We are doing fine on our own." I said.

"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you are up against. Help me out, and maybe I will tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom." Herculessaid.

"My mom?" I asked hopeful.

He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

Peter said coldly, his ocean blue here seem to turn to ice "His mother his far from dead. I can tell him that much. Money? Legacy of Hades here!"

Hercules growled at Peter and said "I would watch your tongue, boy. Or else instead of speaking, you will be yipping! I will squash you like a bug you are!"

Peter smirked and said "You can't touch me unless I attack you, or if I interfere with your domains."

Hercules growled and said "You are right, I can't fight you…"

I interrupted them before Peter got himself in too deep. "What interrupted your date?' I asked. "Did omething scare you off?"

Hercules bared his teeth, and growled. I felt weak and nervous.

"You are lucky you met me, punk, and not one of the Olympians or other gods. They are not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I will meet you back here when you're done. Do not disappoint me."

Peter did something stupid, he gave Hercules the bird and said "Do not give a rat's a-"

After that I must have fainted, or fallen into a trance, because when I opened my eyes again Hercules was gone. I might have thought the conversation had been a dream, but Annabeth and Grover's expressions told me otherwise, there were looking on the ground.

On the ground a brown pup was on the ground. He had ice blue eyes and had a brown fur covering its body, it was very cute, but I realized that Peter was missing….

"This is not good, not good at all!' Grover said. "This is not good."

I stared out the window. The motorcycle had disappeared.

Did Hercules really know something about my mom, or was he just playing with me? Now that he was gone, all the anger had drained out of me. I realized Hercules must love to mess with people's emotions.

"We can't." Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Hercules as much as anybody, but you do not ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He was not kidding about turning you into a rodent. I mean look at Peter."

Peter gave a cute growl and growled more.

Grover rolled his eyes and said "I am sure you can try, but no offence Pete, but you are a cute little wolf pup. You are harmless."

Peter gave him a wolf glare, it was scary… on how cute it was. Peter

I looked down at my cheeseburger, which suddenly did not seem so appetizing. "Why does he need us?"

"Maybe it is a problem that requires brains," Annabeth said. "Hercules has strength. That is all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."

Peter gave a nod of support before giving off a series of barks and growls. I said to Peter "I cannot understand you, neither can Annabeth."

He rolled his eyes and looked at Grover.

Grover sighed and asked "Am I going to have to be his translator?"

Annabeth said "Yes, Peter has a lot of insight. I thought for sure Hades took the bolt, now I am thinking maybe Ares would. Legends tells of how bloody thirsty and war ready Ares was."

Peter gave a few softer barks and a whine'

Grover translated and said "Peter says that we need to get back on track."

I blushed; I actually forgot about Peter's predicament, he does not say much anyway… I said "We will get you back to normal Peter."

I change the subject and said "This water park… he acted almost scared. What would make a god of strength run away like that? I asked.

Annabeth and Grover glanced nervously at each other.

Annabeth said, "I am afraid we will have to find out."

The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the tarmac. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy.

"If Hercules brings his girlfriend here for a date," I said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I wouldd hate to see what she looks like."

Peter gave a growl of warning.

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "You need to be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Hercules." I said.

"Two things, one look at Peter," Peter was watching with a bored expression, Annabeth continued "Two he is still a god."

"'Oh." I suddenly felt the need to change the subject. "So how do _we_ get in?"

" _Maia!_ " Grover's shoes sprouted wings.

He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he had planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"

Annabeth and I had to climb the old-fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top.

I looked back at Peter who was sitting outside, I said "Wait, what about Peter?"

Annabeth said "We have to leave him behind.

The shadows grew long as we walked through the park out of one of the darker shadows came a small brown wolf pup. Peter!

I forgot that he could do that, and I did not think he could do that as a wolf.

No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise.

We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards and racks of –

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."

"Yeah," I said. "But you can't just –"

"Watch me." She said

She snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower print shorts, a big red Waterland T shirt and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.

"What the heck." Grover said with shrug. Soon, all three of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park.

I noticed Peter with something in his mouth, I jogged back and saw a diamond the size of a golf ball, he pointed towards the cash register, I sighed and put it in.

We jogged to get caught back up.

We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love. I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath.

In front of us was an empty pool that would have been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty meters across and shaped like a bowl.

Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read:

THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!

Grover crept towards the edge. "Guys, look."

Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink and white, two seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Hercules's club, a polished baseball but of bronze.

"This is too easy." I said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"

Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue.

"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder…"

"Peter, Grover," I said, "do you two smell any monsters?"

He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."

Peter shook his head.

I asked "Nothing – like, in the Arch and you did not smell Echidna nothing, or really nothing?"

Grover looked hurt. "I told you, that was underground."

Peter gave a little whine and put his head under Grover's head.

"Okay, I am sorry." I took a deep breath. "I am going down there."

"I will go with you." Grover did not sound too enthusiastic, but I got the feeling he was trying to make up for what had happened in St Louis.

"No," I told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You are the Red Baron, remember?

I will be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"

" don't know. Just a feeling… Annabeth, come with me-"

"Are you kidding?" She looked at me as if I had just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.

" What is the problem now?" I demanded.

"Me, go with you to the… the "Thrill Ride of Love"? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?"

"Who is going to see you?" But my face was burning now, too. Leave it to a girl to make everything complicated. "Fine," I told her. "I will do it myself."

But when I started down the side of the pool, she followed me, muttering about how boys always messed things up.

We reached the boat. The club was propped on one seat. I tried to imagine Hercules and an unknown goddess here, a couple of gods meeting in a junked out amusement park ride.

Why?

Then I noticed something I had not seen from up top: mirrors all the way around the rim of the pool, facing this spot. We could see ourselves no matter which direction we looked. That must be it. While Hercules and his girlfriend were smooching with each other they could look at their favorite people: themselves.

"Just get the club, Seaweed Brain, and let's get out of here." She told me.

The moment I touched the club, I knew we were in trouble. My hand broke through something that had been connecting it to the dashboard. A cobweb, I thought, but then I looked at a strand of it on my palm and saw it was some kind of metal filament, so fine it was almost invisible.

A tripwire.

"Wait," Annabeth said.

"Too late…" I muttered.

"There is another Greek letter on the side of the boat, another Eta. This is a trap."

No duh Captain Obvious!

Noise erupted all around us, of a million gears grinding, as if the whole pool were turning into one giant machine.

Grover yelled, "Guys!" and Peter barked.

Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. Before I could suggest taking cover, they shot, but not at us. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.

"We have to get out now!" I said.

"Duh!" Annabeth said.

I grabbed the club and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down.

"Come on!" Grover shouted.

He was trying to hold open a section of the net for us, but wherever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands.

The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute…

Fifty nine seconds, fifty eight…"

"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I am so stupid! Eta is "H". He made this trap to catch his wife with Arse. Now we are going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"

We had almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic… things poured out.

Annabeth screamed.

And I think I am partially deaf in one ear now.

It was an army of wind up creepy crawlies: bronze gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling towards us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal.

"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp – sp – aaaah!"

I had never seen her like this before. She fell backwards in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before I pulled her up and dragged her back towards the boat.

The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding towards the centre of the pool, completely surrounding us. I told myself they probably were not programmed to kill, just corral us and bite us and make us look stupid. Then again, this was a trap meant for gods.

And we were not gods.

Annabeth and I climbed into the boat. I started kicking away the spiders as they swarmed aboard. I yelled at Annabeth to help me, but she was too paralyzed to do much more than scream.

"Thirty, twenty nine…" called the loudspeaker.

The spiders started spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie us down. The strands were easy enough to break at first, but there were so many of them, and the spiders just kept coming. I kicked one away from Annabeth's leg and its pincers took a chunk out of my new surf shoe.

Grover hovered above the pool in his flying trainers, trying to pull the net loose, but it would not budge.

Think, I told myself. Think.

The tunnel of love entrance was under the net. We could use it as an exit, except that it was blocked by a million robot spiders.

"Fifteen, fourteen…" the loudspeaker called.

Water, I thought. Where does the ride's water come from?

Then I saw them: huge water pipes behind the mirrors, where the spiders had come from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupids, a glass windowed booth that must be the controller's station.

"Grover!" I yelled. "Get into that booth! Find the ' _on'_ switch!"

"But-" He tried to protest.

"Do it!" It was a crazy hope, but it was our only chance. The spiders were all over the prow of the boat now. Annabeth was screaming her head off. I had to get us out of here.

Grover was in the controller's booth now, slamming away at the buttons. Peter was looking around as well, he was sniffing at the control panel.

"Five, four…"

Grover looked up at me hopelessly, raising his hands. He was letting me know that he had pushed every button, but still nothing was happening.

I closed my eyes and thought about waves, rushing water, the Mississippi River. I felt a familiar tug in my gut. I tried to imagine that I was dragging the ocean all the way to Denver.

"Two, one, _zero!_ "

Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders. I pulled

Annabeth into the seat next to me and fastened her seatbelt just as the tidal wave slammed into our boat, over the top, whisking the spiders away and dousing us completely, but not capsizing us. The boat turned, lifted in the flood, and spun in circles around the whirlpool.

The water was full of short circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst.

Spotlights glared down at us. The Cupid cams were rolling, live to Olympus.

But I could only concentrate on controlling the boat. I willed it to ride the current, to keep away from the wall.

Maybe it was my imagination, but the boat seemed to respond. At least, it did not break into a million pieces. We spun around one last time, the water level now almost high enough to shred us against the metal net. Then the boat's nose turned towards the tunnel and we rocketed through into the darkness.

Annabeth and I held tight, both of us screaming as the boat shot curls and hugged corners and took forty five degree plunges past pictures of Romeo and Juliet and a bunch of other Valentine's Day stuff.

Then we were out of the tunnel, the night air whistling through our hair as the boat barreled straight towards the exit.

If the ride had been in working order, we would've sailed off a ramp between the golden Gates of Love and splashed down safely in the exit pool. But there was a problem. The Gates of Love were chained. Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before us were now piled against the barricade – one submerged, the other cracked in half.

"Unfasten your seat belt!" I yelled to Annabeth.

"Are you crazy?!" She yelled back.

"Unless you want to get smashed to death." I strapped Hercules's club to my back. "We are going to have to jump for it." My idea was simple and insane. As the boat struck, we would use its force like a springboard to jump the gate. I have heard of people surviving car crashes that way, getting thrown ten or fifteen meters away from an accident. With luck, we would land in the pool.

Annabeth seemed to understand. She gripped my hand as the gates got closer.

"When I say go."' I said.

She snapped back "No! When I say go!"

"What?" I asked.

"Simple physics!" she yelled. "Force times the trajectory angle-"

"Fine!" I shouted. "When _you_ say go!" I did not like science so anything to avoid that, that and death.

She hesitated… hesitated… then yelled, "Now!"

 _Crack!_

Annabeth was right. If we had jumped when I thought we should have, we would have crashed into the gates. She got us maximum lift.

Unfortunately, that was a little more than we needed. Our boat smashed into the pileup and we were thrown into the air, straight over the gates, over the pool, and down towards solid tarmac.

Something grabbed me from behind.

Annabeth yelled, "Ouch!"

Grover!

In midair, he had grabbed me by the shirt, and Annabeth by the arm, and was trying to pull us out of a crash landing, but Annabeth and I had all the momentum.

"You two are too heavy!" Grover said. "We are going down!"

We spiraled towards the ground, Grover doing his best to slow the fall.

We smashed into a photo-board, Grover's head going straight into the hole where tourists would put their faces, pretending to be Noo Noo the Friendly Whale.

Annabeth and I tumbled to the ground, banged up but alive. Hercules's club was still on my back.

Once we caught our breath, Annabeth and I got Grover out of the photo board and thanked him for saving our lives. I looked back at the Thrill Ride of Love. The water was subsiding. Our boat had been smashed to pieces against the gates.

A hundred meters away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming. The statues had swiveled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces.

"The show is over!" I yelled. "Thank you! Goodnight!"

Peter gave a howl at the Moon, while facing the cupids.

The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool.

I wondered if Olympus had gone to a commercial break, or if our ratings had been any good.

I hated being teased. I hated being tricked. And I had plenty of experience handling bullies who liked to do that stuff to me. I readjusted the heavy club on my back and turned to my friends. "We need to have a little talk with Hercules."

Peter growled and gave a nod.

I did not need Grover to translate that. Peter wanted revenge…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I shadow traveled to where I sensed the sea far from the ocean, and that would be Percy.

I appeared in the alley just as they entered the fast food joint. I was going to follow them right then and there, but I felt something in the shadows, I pulled out my silver knife and I unfolded it and said "Will you kindly come into the light?"

There was some soft ruffling and then out of the darkness leapt forth a giant Hell Hound.

To be honest I should have at least guessed a monster, but no, I was caught off guard.

It leapt at me, but I had my knife out already, it impaled itself in its chest, it changed in golden sand near instantly.

I thought _"That was easy! I hope I did not jinx myself!"_

I walked into the restaurant, just in time to hear the waitress ask them "You kids have money to pay for it?"

Annabeth looked ready to pass out from hunger.

That was when I decided to speak up "Yeah, I have the money on me. Sorry Perse, I got lost in the traffic and I thought you meant the café on the other side of the block."

" **PETER!"** Grover, Annabeth and Percy all shouted at once.

I chuckled and said "Yup, in the flesh."

The waitress looked at me with a little fear in her eyes, I may have been 12 years old, but I knew I could be pretty intimidating at times.

She asked "What-"

Just then a rumble shook the whole building; a huge motorcycle the size of a baby elephant had pulled up to the curb.

All conversation in the diner stopped. The motorcycle's headlight glared red. Its gas tank had flames painted on it, and a shotgun holster riveted to either side, complete with shotguns.

The seat was leather, but leather that looked like… well, Caucasian human skin.

The guy on the bike would have made pro wrestlers run for Mama. He was dressed in a black muscle shirt and black jeans and a brown leather duster.

He had electric blue eyes and a near perfect, I think I remember him from somewhere… I guess. He had blond hair that Cascaded down to his shoulders like a golden water fall. He had a few scars on his cheeks.

As he walked into the diner, a hot, dry wind blew through the place. All the people rose, as if they were hypnotized, but the biker waved his hand dismissively and they all sat down again.

Everybody went back to their conversations as if noting happened.

The waitress blinked, as if somebody had just pressed the rewind button on her brain. She asked us again, "You kids have money to pay for it?"

The biker said, "It is on me." He slid into our booth, which was way too small for him, and crowded Annabeth against the window.

He looked up at the waitress, who was gaping at him, and said, "Are you still here?"

He pointed at her, and she stiffened. She turned as if she had been spun around, and then marched back towards the kitchen.

I growled as I put my hands into one of my trench coat pockets to get armed and ready. I was more than ready and willing to attack this guy. For some reason I really, really wanted to kill him, I remembered something, Hercules, this dude was Hercules!

Hercules looked at Percy. And I could tell Percy was feeling anger, rage, and everything else.

He gave Percy a wicked grin. "So you are old Seaweed's kid, huh?"

Percy said in a standoffish way "What is it to you?!" he said with a growl.

Annabeth's eyes flashed me a warning. "Percy, this is -"

The biker raised his hand.

"It is ok," he said. "I like a little attitude. Long as you remember who is the boss. You know who I am, little cousin?"

I said coldly "One of the biggest lies of history. One of the most famous hero of old, who _**murdered**_ his own wife."

Percy looked confused as if trying to remember one of lessons from Latin class, or something from Annabeth.

He looked to me and Annabeth for answers.

I spat out coldly "Hercules, son of Zeus."

Hercules growled and said "I said a little attitude! I could turn you into a dog if you insult me."

I was about ready to do start a fight or something, something either stupid or crazy, but Annabeth placed a hand on my shoulder, Percy put his hand on my other, I was still nearly ready to attack still, but I was able to hold my tongue now with my rage slightly subsided.

Annabeth asked a little apprehensive "What are you here for Lord Hercules"

Hercules said "What I am here for – I heard you were in town. I got a little proposition for you."

The waitress came back with heaping trays of food – cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings and chocolate shakes.

Hercules handed her a few gold drachmas.

She looked nervously at the coins. "But, these are not…"

Hercules pulled sat up straight and stretched out showing off just how big he was. ''Problem, sweetheart?''

The waitress swallowed, then left with the gold.

"You can't just do that," Percy told Hercules before I could even speak. "You can't just threaten people!"

Hercules laughed. Are you kidding? I love this country! Dangerous world out there. Which brings me to my proposition. I need you to do me a favour."

I said at the same time as Percy said "Sorry we are not interested" Percy said "What favour could I do for a god?"

"Something a god does not have time to do himself. It is nothing much. I left my club at an abandoned water park here in town. I was going on a little… date with my girlfriend. We were interrupted. I left my shield behind. I want you to fetch it for me." He said to us.

"Why don't you go back and get it yourself?" Percy asked.

"Why don't I turn you into prairie dog and run you over with my Harley? Because I do not feel like it. A god is giving you an opportunity to prove yourself, Percy Jackson. Will you prove yourself a coward?" He leaned forward. "Or maybe you only fight when there's a river to dive into, so your daddy can protect you."

I wanted to start a fight, but I could not risk hurting anyone, that WAS why he kept the mortals here!

"We are not interested," Percy said. "We have already got a quest."

Hercules's electric blue eyes bore into Percy. "I know all about your quest, punk. When that _item_ was first stolen"

He licked his lips, as if the very thought of the master bolt made him hungry. "I _am_ the one who told him my suspicions about old Corpse Breath."

"You told him Hades stole the bolt?"

"Sure. Framing somebody to start a war. Oldest trick in the book. I recognized it immediately. In a way, you got me to thank for your little quest."

"Thanks," Percy grumbled.

I snarled in anger and said "I know for a fact Hades did not steal the bolt, I was down there for some time. He does hold a grudge to be sure, but he is not going to start World War 3, that would be Ares, if legends hold true to his bloodlust."

Hercules smirked evilly and said "Yes, the old war god and his blood lust. HE may have stolen it." He paused and said "Hey, I am a generous guy. Just do my little job, and I will help you on your way. I will arrange a ride west for you and your friends."

'"We are doing fine on our own." Percy said.

"Yeah, right. No money. No wheels. No clue what you are up against. Help me out, and maybe I will tell you something you need to know. Something about your mom." Hercules said.

"My mom?" Percy asked hopeful.

He grinned. "That got your attention. The water park is a mile west on Delancy. You can't miss it. Look for the Tunnel of Love ride."

I said coldly, as I felt the temperature in the room to drop "His mother his far from dead. I can tell him that much. Money? Legacy of Hades here!"

Hercules growled at me and said "I would watch your tongue, boy. Or else instead of speaking, you will be yipping! I will squash you like a bug you are!"

Peter smirked and said "You can't touch me unless I attack you, or if I interfere with your domains."

Hercules growled and said "You are right, I can't fight you…"

Percy interrupted us before I got himself in too deep. "What interrupted your date?' Percy asked. "Did something scare you off?"

Hercules bared his teeth, and growled.

"You are lucky you met me, punk, I am not one of the Olympians or one of the other gods. They are not as forgiving of rudeness as I am. I will meet you back here when you're done. Do not disappoint me." Hercules said bitterly.

I began to say to Hercules as I gave him the bird with both hands and said "Do not give a rat's a-"

Hercules growled and snapped his fingers, after that I woke up on the floor, I noticed my perspective has changed, I was no longer standing up right, I was laying down on the side, I noticed when I tried to stand, but I could not. I realized I had paws, four _**PAWS**_! I had a sense of déjà.

"This is not good, not good at all!' Grover said looking at me. "This is not good."

Percy stared out the window. The motorcycle had disappeared.

"We can't." Annabeth said. "Look, I hate Hercules as much as anybody, but you do not ignore the gods unless you want serious bad fortune. He was not kidding about turning you into a rodent. I mean look at Peter." She gestured to me.

I gave growl and said "When I see Hercules again, I will gave him the club where it hurts!" It must have came out in growls because Annabeth gave me a look that said "you are adorable!"

Grover rolled his eyes and said "I am sure you can try, but no offence Pete, but you are a cute little wolf pup. You are harmless."

I gave him a literal wolf glare.

Percy looked down at his cheeseburger, and looked ready to throw up.. "Why does he need us?"

"Maybe it is a problem that requires brains," Annabeth said. "Hercules has strength. That is all he has. Even strength has to bow to wisdom sometimes."

I gave a nod of support before saying _"We can do this Percy! I mean, the sooner we get this side quest done, the sooner we gwt your mom and the sooner I get to become human again! Let's get the show on the roll!"_

Percy looked at me in the eyes and said to me "I cannot understand you, neither can Annabeth."

I rolled my eyes and looked to Grover.

Grover sighed and asked "Am I going to have to be his translator?"

Annabeth said "Yes, Peter has a lot of insight. I thought for sure Hades took the bolt, now I am thinking maybe Ares would. Legends tells of how bloody thirsty and war ready Ares was."

I said _"Yes he was, but we need to hurry up and get back on track, we only have a few days to find one of the most powerful weapons in the world! Let's go!"_

Grover translated and said "Peter says that we need to get back on track."

Percy blushed and said "We will get you back to normal Peter."

Percy chose to the change the subject and said "This water park… he acted almost scared. What would make a god of strength run away like that?" He asked.

Annabeth and Grover glanced nervously at each other.

Annabeth said, "I am afraid we will have to find out."

The sun was sinking behind the mountains by the time we found the water park. Judging from the sign, it once had been called WATERLAND, but now some of the letters were smashed out, so it read WAT R A D.

The main gate was padlocked and topped with barbed wire. Inside, huge dry waterslides and tubes and pipes curled everywhere, leading to empty pools. Old tickets and advertisements fluttered around the tarmac. With night coming on, the place looked sad and creepy.

"If Hercules brings his girlfriend here for a date," Percy said, staring up at the barbed wire, "I would hate to see what she looks like."

I gave a growl and said _"You best be more careful Percy, unless you want to end up as guinea pig!"_ I did not realize just how true those word would become in a few years…

"Percy," Annabeth warned. "You need to be more respectful."

"Why? I thought you hated Hercules." Percy said.

"Two things, one look at Peter," I was watching them with a bored expression because I knew Percy and I will always be… us, untamable Annabeth continued "Two he is still a god."

"'Oh." Percy suddenly felt the need to change the subject. "So how do _we_ get in?"

" _Maia!_ " Grover's shoes sprouted wings.

He flew over the fence, did an unintended somersault in midair, and then stumbled to a landing on the opposite side. He dusted off his jeans, as if he had planned the whole thing. "You guys coming?"

Annabeth and Percy had to climb the old fashioned way, holding down the barbed wire for each other as we crawled over the top.

Percy looked back at me who was sitting outside; Percy asked "Wait, what about Peter?"

Annabeth said "We have to leave him behind.

I rolled my eyes and waited a few seconds, I simply shadowed traveled to just in front of them.

No monsters came to get us. Nothing made the slightest noise.

We found a souvenir shop that had been left open. Merchandise still lined the shelves: snow globes, pencils, postcards and racks of –

"Clothes," Annabeth said. "Fresh clothes."

"Yeah," Percy said. "But you can't just –"

"Watch me." She said

She snatched an entire row of stuff of the racks and disappeared into the changing room. A few minutes later she came out in Waterland flower print shorts, a big red Waterland T shirt and commemorative Waterland surf shoes. A Waterland backpack was slung over her shoulder, obviously stuffed with more goodies.

"What the heck." Grover said with shrug. Soon, all three of us were decked out like walking advertisements for the defunct theme park.

I summoned a gem the size of a golf ball, I knew this would be more than enough, the problem was getting it into the cash register, luckily Percy helped out with that.

We jogged to get caught back up.

We continued searching for the Tunnel of Love. I got the feeling that the whole park was holding its breath, as I sensed potential danger.

In front of us was an empty pool that would have been awesome for skateboarding. It was at least fifty meters across and shaped like a bowl.

Around the rim, a dozen bronze statues of Cupid stood guard with wings spread and bows ready to fire. On the opposite side from us, a tunnel opened up, probably where the water flowed into when the pool was full. The sign above it read:

THRILL RIDE O' LOVE: THIS IS NOT YOUR PARENTS' TUNNEL OF LOVE!

Grover crept towards the edge. "Guys, look."

Marooned at the bottom of the pool was a pink and white, two seater boat with a canopy over the top and little hearts painted all over it. In the left seat, glinting in the fading light, was Hercules's club, a polished baseball but of bronze.

"This is too easy." Percy said. "So we just walk down there and get it?"

Annabeth ran her fingers along the base of the nearest Cupid statue.

"There's a Greek letter carved here," she said. "Eta. I wonder…"

"Peter, Grover," Percy said, "do you two smell any monsters?"

He sniffed the wind. "Nothing."

I shook his head.

Percy asked "Nothing – like, in the Arch and you did not smell Echidna nothing, or really nothing?"

Grover looked hurt. "I told you, that _was_ underground."

I gave Grover a sad look and walked over to him and said softly, though it must have looked like a whine _"We do not blame you Grover, I should hav said something. We are all right in the end."_

"Okay, I am sorry." Percy took a deep breath. "I am going down there."

"I will go with you." Grover did not sound too enthusiastic, I knew he was feeling guilty.

"No," Percy told him. "I want you to stay up top with the flying shoes. You are the Red Baron, remember?

I will be counting on you for backup, in case something goes wrong."

Grover puffed up his chest a little. "Sure. But what could go wrong?"

" don't know. Just a feeling… Annabeth, come with me-" Percy said.

"Are you kidding?" She looked at him as if he had just dropped from the moon. Her cheeks were bright red.

" What is the problem now?" Percy demanded.

"Me, go with you to the… the "Thrill Ride of Love"? How embarrassing is that? What if somebody saw me?" Annabeth

"Who is going to see you?" But Percy's face was burning now, too. "Fine," Percy said to Annabeth. "I will do it myself."

But when he started down the side of the pool, she followed him, muttering about how boys always messed things up.

From the top Grover and I watched them, I saw a spider web, but when I looked more closely it was not natural, all of a sudden they was noise, a lot of noise.

Grover yelled, "Guys!" and Peter barked.

Up on the rim, the Cupid statues were drawing their bows into firing position. They fired at each other, across the rim of the pool. Silky cables trailed from the arrows, arcing over the pool and anchoring where they landed to form a huge golden asterisk. Then smaller metallic threads started weaving together magically between the main strands, making a net.

"We have to get out now!" Percy yelled.

"Duh!" Annabeth said.

I grabbed the club and we ran, but going up the slope of the pool was not as easy as going down.

"Come on!" Grover shouted.

He was trying to hold open a section of the net for them, but wherever he touched it, the golden threads started to wrap around his hands.

The Cupids' heads popped open. Out came video cameras. Spotlights rose up all around the pool, blinding us with illumination, and a loudspeaker voice boomed: "Live to Olympus in one minute…

Fifty nine seconds, fifty eight…"

"Hephaestus!" Annabeth screamed. "I am so stupid! Eta is "H". He made this trap to catch his wife with Arse. Now we are going to be broadcast live to Olympus and look like absolute fools!"

They had almost made it to the rim when the row of mirrors opened like hatches and thousands of tiny metallic… things poured out.

Annabeth screamed, and let me tell you, she _IS_ a screamer, better place a gag on her…

It was an army of wind up creepy crawlies: bronze gear bodies, spindly legs, little pincer mouths, all scuttling towards us in a wave of clacking, whirring metal.

"Spiders!" Annabeth said. "Sp – sp – aaaah!"

I had never seen her like this before. She fell backwards in terror and almost got overwhelmed by the spider robots before I pulled her up and dragged her back towards the boat.

The things were coming out from all around the rim now, millions of them, flooding towards the centre of the pool, completely surrounding them.

"Thirty, twenty nine…" called the loudspeaker.

The spiders started spitting out strands of metal thread, trying to tie us down. The strands were easy enough to break at first, but there were so many of them, and the spiders just kept coming. Percy kicked one away from Annabeth's leg and its pincers took a chunk out of my new surf shoe.

Grover hovered above the pool in his flying trainers, trying to pull the net loose, but it would not budge.

I could not do anything because, I have no thumbs, two I was feeling weak, I should have eaten when I had the chance.

The tunnel of love entrance was under the net. We could use it as an exit, except that it was blocked by a million robot spiders.

"Fifteen, fourteen…" the loudspeaker called.

Then Percy saw huge water pipes behind the mirrors, where the spiders had come from. And up above the net, next to one of the Cupids, a glass windowed booth that must be the controller's station.

"Grover!" Percy yelled. "Get into that booth! Find the ' _on'_ switch!"

"But-" He tried to protest.

"Do it!" He yelled back

Grover was in the controller's booth now, slamming away at the buttons.

I was looking as well, I was smelling the control panel seeing if I could sense anything.

"Five, four…"

Grover looked up at me hopelessly, raising his hands. He was letting me know that he had pushed every button, but still nothing was happening.

Percy closed his eyes…

"Two, one, _zero!_ "

Water exploded out of the pipes. It roared into the pool, sweeping away the spiders

The water was full of short circuiting spiders, some of them smashing against the pool's concrete wall with such force they burst.

Spotlights glared down at them. The Cupid cams were rolling, live to Olympus.

But I helped by concentrating on controlling the water around the boat, Percy would have to do the boat itself boat.

Then the boat's nose turned towards the tunnel and they rocketed through into the darkness.

If the ride had been in working order, they would have sailed off a ramp between the golden Gates of Love and splashed down safely in the exit pool. But there was a problem. The Gates of Love were chained. Two boats that had been washed out of the tunnel before them were now piled against the barricade – one submerged, the other cracked in half.

I could barely hear them shouting, until I heard;

 _Crack!_

Percy and Annabeth was sent flying, but Grover caught them both, he caught Percy by the back of the shirt and Annabeth by her arm.

"You two are too heavy!" Grover said. "We are going down!"

They spiraled towards the ground, Grover doing his best to slow the fall.

They smashed into a photo-board, Grover's head going straight into the hole where tourists would put their faces, pretending to be Noo Noo the Friendly Whale.

Annabeth and Percy tumbled to the ground, banged up but alive. Hercules's Club was still on his back.

Once we all caught our breath, Annabeth and Percy got Grover out of the photo board and thanked him for saving their lives. Percy looked back at the Thrill Ride of Love. The water was subsiding. The boat they had been smashed to pieces against the gates.

A hundred meters away, at the entrance pool, the Cupids were still filming. The statues had swiveled so that their cameras were trained straight on us, the spotlights in our faces.

"The show is over!" Percy yelled. "Thank you! Goodnight!"

Peter gave a howl at the Moon, while facing the cupids. It was a wordless howl, but I knew Artemis either saw this or heard my howl.

The Cupids turned back to their original positions. The lights shut off. The park went quiet and dark again, except for the gentle trickle of water into the Thrill Ride of Love's exit pool.

Percy readjusted the heavy club on his back and turned to us and said. "We need to have a little talk with Hercules."

I growled and gave a nod as is said _"Let's do this! Hercules is going to regret this, all of this. I will have my revenge."_

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

The god of Strength was waiting for us in the diner parking lot.

"Well, well," he said. "You did not get yourself killed."

"You knew it was a trap!" I said.

Hercules gave me a wicked grin. "Bet that crippled blacksmith was surprised when he netted a couple of stupid kids. You looked good on TV."

I shoved his club at him. "You are a jerk!"

Annabeth and Grover caught their breath.

Ares grabbed the club and placed it on his back.

"See that truck over there?" He pointed to an eighteen-wheeler parked across the street from the diner. "That is your ride. Take you straight to L.A., with one stop in Vegas."

The eighteen wheeler had a sign on the back, which I could read only because it was reverse printed white on black, a good combination for dyslexia:

KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL:

HUMANE ZOO TRANSPORT.

WARNING: LIVE WILD ANIMALS.

I said, "You are kidding right?"

Hercules snapped his fingers. The back door of the truck unlatched. "Free ride west, punk, so stop complaining. And here is a little something for doing the job."

He slung a blue nylon backpack off his handlebars and tossed it to me.

Inside were fresh clothes for all of us, twenty bucks in cash, a pouch full of golden drachmas and a bag of Double Stuf Oreos.

I said, "I do not want your lousy –''

"Thank you, Lord Hercules," Grover interrupted, giving me his best red alert warning look. "Thanks a lot."

I gritted my teeth. It was probably a deadly insult to refuse something from a god, but I did not want anything that Hercules had touched.

Reluctantly, I slung the backpack over my shoulder.

I knew my anger was being caused by his presence, but I was still itching to punch him in the nose. He reminded me of every bully I'd ever faced: Nancy Bobofit, Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, sarcastic teachers, every jerk who had called me stupid in school or laughed at me when I would got expelled.

I looked back at the diner, which had only a couple of customers now. The waitress who had served us dinner was watching nervously out the window, like she was afraid Ares might hurt us.

She dragged the cook out from the kitchen to see. She said something to him. He nodded, held up a little disposable camera and snapped a picture of us.

Great, I thought. We will make the papers again tomorrow.

I imagined the headline: TWELVE-YEAR-OLD OUTLAW BEATS UP DEFENCELESS BIKER.

"You owe me two more things," I told Hercules, trying to keep my voice level. "You promised me information about my mother."

"You sure you can handle the news?" He kick started his motorcycle. "She is not dead."

The ground seemed to spin beneath me. "What do you mean?"

"I mean she was taken away from the Minotaur before she could die. She was turned into a shower of gold, right? That is metamorphosis. Not death. She is being kept."

"Kept. Why?" I asked confused.

"You need to study war, punk. Hostages. You take somebody to control somebody else." Hercules said.

"Nobody is controlling me." I said with a growl. Peter was growling too.

He laughed. "Oh yeah? See you around, kid."

I balled up my fists. 'You are pretty smug, Lord Hercules, for a guy who runs from Cupid statues."

Behind his sunglasses I could feel the heat of his glare. I felt a hot wind in my hair. "We will meet again, Percy Jackson. Next time you are in a fight, watch your back."

Peter gave a loud bark. Hercules snapped his fingers. The bad felt slightly heavier

He revved his Harley, then roared off down Delancy Street.

Annabeth said, "That was not smart, Percy."

I said "I don't care."

''You do not want a god as your enemy. Especially not that god." She tried to reason with me.

"Hey, guys," Grover said. "I hate to interrupt, but…"

He pointed towards the diner.

At the cash register, the last two customers were paying their bill, two men in identical black coveralls, with a white logo on their backs that matched the one on the

KINDNESS INTERNATIONAL truck.

"If we are taking the zoo express," Grover said, "we need to hurry."

I did not like it, but we had no better option. Besides, I had seen enough of Denver.

We ran across the street and climbed in the back of the big lorry, closing the doors behind us.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is one more chapter, I hope to post another one tomorrow!**

 **Death Fury out!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you for all of your support!**

 **Thank you "** **Tabris the 17th angle** **'' for your review; Why did you not expect** **Hercules? Personally I also think Ares is used too much as a villain, so instead of using Ares, I used Hercules. I want to mix the personality of Mars and Ares together.**

 **Thank you "Man285" for your review as well; I am glad you liked it and thought it was good.**

 **Thank you "** **Nobel Six** **" for your review as well; well the wait is over!**

 **Thank you "** **Kronium345** **" for your review as well; I am glad you liked the story as well.**

 **The story contuse like a river towards the sea….**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

We jumped into the van and the first thing that hit me like a truck was the smell. It was like the world's biggest pan of kitty litter.

The trailer was dark inside until I uncapped Anaklusmos. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I had ever beheld: a zebra, a male albino lion and some weird antelope thing I didn't know the name for.

Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which he obviously didn't want to eat. The zebra and the antelope had each got a polystyrene tray of hamburger meat. The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time. The antelope had a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read **OVER THE HILL!**

Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space way too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs showed through his white fur.

"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"

Peter snarled and growled, probably in agreement.

They probably would have gone right back outside to beat up the truckers, and I would have helped them, but just then the truck's engine roared to life, the trailer started shaking, and we were forced to sit down or fall down.

We huddled in the corner on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies. Grover and Peter were talking to the animals, but they just stared at him sadly.

Annabeth was in favour of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but I pointed out it would not do much good until the truck stopped moving. Besides, I had a feeling we might look a lot better to the lion than those turnips.

I found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to drag the mismatched food out of their cages. I gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.

Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn.

She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, too, but we decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. We told Grover to promise the animals we'd help them more in the morning, and then we settled in for the night.

Grover curled up on a turnip sack; Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuff Oreos and nibbled on one half heartedly; I tried to cheer myself up by concentrating on the fact that we were halfway to Los Angeles. Halfway to our destination. It was only June fourteenth. The solstice was not until the twenty first.

We could make it in plenty of time.

On the other hand, I had no idea what to expect next. The gods kept toying with me. At least Hephaestus had the decency to be honest about it he had put up cameras and advertised me as entertainment. But even when the cameras were not rolling, I had a feeling my quest was being watched. I was a source of amusement for the gods.

"Hey," Annabeth said, "I am sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."

I replied "That is okay."

"It is just…" She shuddered. "Spiders."

"Because of the Arachne story," I guessed. "She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?"

Annabeth nodded. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there is a spider within a mile of me, it will find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."

"We are a team, remember?'' I said. ''Besides, Grover did the fancy flying.''

I thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"

Annabeth and I laughed.

She pulled apart an Oreo, handed me half. "In the Iris message… did Luke really say nothing?"

I munched my cookie and thought about how to answer. The conversation via rainbow had bothered me all evening. "Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."

In the dim bronze light of the sword blade, it was hard to read their expressions.

Grover let out a mournful bray.

"I should have told you the truth from the beginning." His voice trembled. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you would not want me along."

"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." I stated.

He nodded glumly.

"And the other two half bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp…" I looked at Annabeth. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"

She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Percy, a seven year old half blood would not have made it very far alone. Athena guided me towards help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They had both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were… amazing monster-fighters, even without training. We travelled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."

"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he said, sniffling. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from

Chiron: do _not_ do _anything_ that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I could not just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought… I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I had just been a little quicker…"

"Stop it," Annabeth said. "No one blames you. Thalia did not blame you either."

"She sacrificed herself to save us," he said miserably. "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."

"Because you would not leave two other half bloods behind?" I said. "That is not fair."

Peter barked in agreement.

"Percy is right," Annabeth said. "I would not be here today if it were not for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We do not care what the council says."

Grover kept sniffling in the dark. "It is just my luck. I am the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy."

"You are not lame," Annabeth insisted. "You have got more courage than any satyr I have ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you are here right now."

She kicked me in the shin.

"Yeah," I said, which I would have done even without the kick. "It is not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You have got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You are a natural searcher. That is why you will be the one who finds Pan."

I heard a deep, satisfied sigh. I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. When the sound turned to snoring, I realized he had fallen sleep.

"How does he do that?" I marveled.

"I really do not know,' Annabeth said. "But that was really a nice thing you told him."

"I meant it." I said evenly.

We rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around on the feed sacks. The zebra munched a turnip.

The lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at me hopefully.

Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.

"That pine tree bead," I said. "Is that from your first year?"

She looked. She had not realized what she was doing.

"Yeah," she said. "Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I have got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress, now _that_ was a weird summer…"

"And the college ring is your father's?" I guessed.

Peter rolled his wolf eyes.

"That is none of your –'' She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

'You do not have to tell me, if you do not want to." I said, trying not to impose.

"No… it is okay." She took a shaky breath. "My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He would not have got through his doctoral programmed at Harvard without her… That is a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him."

"That does not sound so bad." I replied.

"Yeah, well… the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She did not want her kids put in danger by living with a freak.

Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I did not even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half Blood."

"You think you will ever try living with your dad again?" I asked.

She would not meet my eyes. "Please. I am not into self inflicted pain."

"You should not give up," I told her. "You should write him a letter or something."

"Thanks for the advice," she said coldly, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."

We passed another few miles of silence.

Peter gave a soft bark. I forgot he had to eat too. I reached into the bag, I found a vile, I frowned for a second, I found a note attached to it, it read:

 _Here is the Antidote for dog breath._

 _-Hercules, the greatest hero of all time._

I said to Peter "Come over here Pete, I found something for you."

Peter growled when I said his nickname, but came to me regardless. I showed him the note. He cocked his head as if asking a question.

I realized, he in fact could not open the vile. I blushed and said "Ok lean your head back and open your mouth bud."

Peter did so.

I uncorked the vile and I poured the foul smelling stuff down his throat, I could only imagine it tasting worst than it smelt!

Once every last drop was consumed he sat on his haunches and waited, nothing appeared to be happening right away and I got bored, blame the ADHD.

"So if the gods fight," I said, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"

She put her head against the backpack Hercules had given us, and closed her eyes. "I do not know what my mom will do. I just know I will fight next to you."

I asked "Why?''

"Because you are my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?" She asked.

Peter gave another bark.

She rolled her eyes and said "I do not speak dog."

Peter gave her puppy eyes, he was so cute. Annabeth sighed and scratched the back of his head; she must have hit an itchy spot because one of Peter's hind legs went thumping.

She giggled, she slowed down, so did the leg, then she sped up again, and the leg mirrored her. She stopped after a bit and Peter plopped his head down in her lap.

She giggled and soon Peter was fast asleep and Annabeth followed him shortly after.

I had trouble following their example, with Grover snoring and an albino lion staring hungrily at me, but eventually I closed my eyes.

My nightmare started out as something I had dreamed a million times before: I was being forced to take a standardized test while wearing a straitjacket. All the other kids were going out to recess, and the teacher kept saying, ' _Come on, Percy. You are not stupid are you? Pick up your pencil.'_

Then the dream strayed from the usual.

I looked over at the next desk and saw a girl sitting there, also wearing a strait jacket. She was my age, with unruly black, punk style hair, dark eyeliner around her stormy green eyes, and freckles across her nose.

Somehow, I knew who she was. She was Thalia, daughter of Zeus.

She struggled against the straitjacket, glared at me in frustration and snapped, ' _Well, Seaweed_

 _Brain? One of us has to get out of here.'_

She is right, my dream self thought. I am going back to that cavern. I am going to give Hades a piece of my mind.

The straitjacket melted off me. I fell through the classroom floor. The teacher's voice changed until it was cold and evil, echoing from the depths of a great chasm.

' _Percy Jackson,'_ it said. ' _Yes, the exchange went well, I see.'_

I was back in the dark cavern, spirits of the dead drifting around me. Unseen in the pit, the monstrous thing was speaking, but this time it wasn't addressing me. The numbing power of its voice seemed directed somewhere else.

' _And he suspects nothing?'_ it asked.

Another voice, one I almost recognized, answered at my shoulder. ' _There is one thing, my lord. He is not as ignorant as the rest he is beginning to piece together the puzzle.'_

I looked over, but no one was there. The speaker was invisible.

' _We need to either crush him or turn him',_ the thing in the pit mused aloud.

' _Excellent. Truly, my lord,'_ said the voice next to me, ' _you are well named the Crooked One. But was it really necessary? I could have brought you what I stole directly –'_

' _You?'_ the monster said in scorn. ' _You have already shown your limits. You would have failed me_

 _completely had I not intervened.'_

' _But, my lord –'_ The other voice began _._

' _Peace, little servant. Our six months have bought us much. Zeus's anger has grown. Poseidon has played his most desperate cards. Now we shall use it against him. Shortly you shall have the reward you wish, and your revenge. As soon as both items are delivered into my hands… but wait.'_ There was a pause then the Crooked One's voice said _'He is here.'_

' _What?'_

The invisible servant suddenly sounded tense. ' _You summoned him, my lord?'_

' _No.'_ The full force of the monster's attention was now pouring over me, freezing me in place.

' _Blast his father's blood – he is too changeable, too unpredictable. The boy brought himself hither.'_ The monster said.

' _Impossible!'_ the servant cried.

' _For a weakling such as you, perhaps,'_ the voice snarled. Then its cold power turned back on me.

' _So… you wish to dream of your quest, young half blood? Then I will oblige.'_ The voice said to me.

The scene changed.

I was standing in a vast throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. The empty, horrid throne was made from human bones fused together. Standing at the foot of the dais was my mother, frozen in shimmering golden light, her arms outstretched.

I tried to step towards her, but my legs would not move. I reached for her, only to realize that my hands were withering to bones. Grinning skeletons in Greek armour crowded around me, draping me with silk robes, wreathing my head with laurels that smoked with Chimera poison, burning into my scalp.

The evil voice began to laugh. ' _Hail, the conquering hero!'_

I woke with a start.

I saw Peter (still in wolf form) writhing in his sleep and Annabeth try to comfort him. HE appeared to be in pain. Soft whimpers escaped from his sleeping lips.

Peter's eyes snapped open, he was panting he tried to get up, but Annabeth was holding him down as she began to whisper in his ear.

I noticed that there was a slight glow around him I said "Guys, uh… Peter is glowing…"

Annabeth stepped back and saw what I meant, she swallowed nervously and said "I have no idea…"

Peter gave a low growl which Grover translated for him saying "Peter said, the potion is finally setting in, and it burns. I think I should be human again in about two minute, probably less."

About a minute later, the hair on Peter's face and body began to fall out, his face shortened and his canines began to retract into his mouth. His front paws began to form hands.

I realized he was shirtless, I quickly threw him the backpack and Grover tossed him the turnip bag.

Peter was completely human in exactly ninety seconds. He was also in his birthday suit, but his jewels were covered by the sack and pack.

I wanted to look away, but I could not pull my eyes from his body, and no it was not because I was looking with lust, it was because he had scars, no he did have scars, he WAS a scar. He had more scars than he did skin. It made me sick.

Peter was in shock too. He just sat there wide eyed and pale.

Annabeth, who luckily got away when he began to glow, was also staring at him and I swear I saw her blushing.

Peter growled, and that knocked us all back into the present.

I turned around and faced the wall, I gently spun Annabeth around with me and I said to Peter "Peter, I noticed there was some clothes in there that I know you would like."

Peter gave a huff and a few seconds later he said "I am descent enough."

Peter was wearing black cargo pants, a black hoodie and a pair of military steel toed boots.

I open my mouth, but I could not even utter a word. I did not have to.

Peter said "When I was young… well… younger… I was abused by my stepfather. He was a drunk war veteran, who my mother married. He was very abusive-"

Annabeth cut him off and whispered "That _**IS**_ not abuse…"

Peter sighed and said "This is nothing, compared to what he did that broke me."

I asked "What did he do?"

Peter snarled and his eyes turned to blood red as he said "Why should I tell you _brother_?! I have survived alone this long, and I can and will do so again!" He snarled.

Annabeth slowly walked towards him, but the van hit a bump, but before she could fall down, Peter caught her. He whispered gently "Be careful."

Annabeth wrapped her arms around his neck and said "Peter, we are your friends, we want to help."

I said "Peter we are family!"

Peter chuckled darkly and said "I watched my stepfather blow my mother's head off with a shotgun, her brains and blood painted the wall. My sister and I knocked him over while we ran out. A few years later, my sister was murdered by the Manticore!"

I could tell Peter was fighting off tears, I know I was.

Grover gave a mournful bleat.

Peter shut his eyes and whispered "Every time, I get close to someone they get hurt. I was cursed a while back and the cures gave a prophecy that went something like this;

" _A Wander lost  
shall bare a cost._

The choice brings life or Death  
By the savior's last breath."

Not the best prophecy I know, but it serves its purpose."

Annabeth said to him "Peter…."

I said "Peter, we are family, we can do this!"

Peter sighed and said there is more he cleared his throat and sung;

" _A world shattered beyond repair  
The Wander has a curse to bare!_

 _The power of life or Death  
Found or lost in a single breath"_

Once he was done I cleared my throat and said "You have a nice singing voice."

Peter growled and glared at me.

Oops… I said "Are you sure that applies to you?"

Annabeth said "Percy is right Peter, that could be anyone.

Peter said "I wish, but there is one final line to sing;

 _The forgotten child,  
Never once tender and mild._

 _The one with no name  
shall bare the greatest shame!_

 _The Wanderer lost in grief,  
Will he ever turn over a new leaf?_

 _Will he mend or will he rend?_

 _Fate shall come down to a single child."_

I asked "Ok… what is the greatest shame?"

Peter growled out and said "Figure it out yourself."

Annabeth said "We can help-"

Peter cut her off with a growl "I need no help!" Peter snarled as he faded into the darkness…

I muttered "That was _**Unexpected**_!"

A few minute later I felt the van stop and then Grover said. "I think they are coming to check on the animals."

"Hide!" Annabeth hissed.

She had it easy. She just put on her magic cap and disappeared. Grover and I had to dive behind feed sacks and hope we looked like turnips.

The trailer doors creaked open. Sunlight and heat poured in.

"Man!" one of the truckers said, waving his hand in front of his ugly nose. "wish I hauled appliances." He climbed inside and poured some water from a jug into the animals' dishes.

"You hot, big boy?" he asked the lion, then splashed the rest of the bucket right in the lion's face.

The lion roared in indignation.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." the man said.

Next to me, under the turnip sacks, Grover tensed. For a peace loving herbivore, he looked downright murderous.

The trucker threw the antelope a squashed looking Happy Meal bag. He smirked at the zebra. "How ya doing, Stripes? Least we will be getting rid of _you_ this stop. You like magic shows? You are gonna love this one. They are gonna saw you in half!"

The zebra, wild eyed with fear, looked straight at me.

There was no sound, but as clear as day, I heard it say: ' _Free me, lord. Please.'_

I was too stunned to react.

There was a loud _knock, knock, knock_ on the side of the trailer.

The trucker inside with us yelled, "What do you want, Eddie?"

A voice outside – it must have been Eddie's – shouted back, "Maurice? What would ya say?"

"What are you banging for?" He asked.

 _Knock, knock, knock._

Outside, Eddie yelled, "What is banging?"

Our guy Maurice rolled his eyes and went back outside, cursing at Eddie for being an idiot.

A second later, Annabeth appeared next to me. She must have done the banging to get Maurice out of the trailer. She said, "This transport business can't be legal."

I thought _"No duh!"_

"No kidding!" Grover said. He paused, as if listening. "The lion says these guys are animal smugglers!"

' _That is right!'_ the zebra's voice said in my mind.

"We have got to free them!" Grover said. He and Annabeth both looked at me, waiting for my lead.

I had heard the zebra talk, but not the lion. Why? Maybe it was another learning disability… I could only understand zebras? Then I thought: horses. What had Annabeth said about Poseidon creating horses? Was a zebra close enough to a horse? Was that why I could understand it?

The zebra said, ' _Open my cage, lord. Please. I'll be fine after that.'_

Outside, Eddie and Maurice were still yelling at each other, but I knew they had be coming inside to torment the animals again any minute. I grabbed Riptide and slashed the lock off the zebra's cage.

The zebra burst out. It turned to me and bowed. ' _Thank you, lord.'_

Grover held up his hands and said something to the zebra in goat talk, like a blessing.

Just as Maurice was poking his head back inside to check out the noise, the zebra leaped over him and into the street. There was yelling and screaming and cars honking. We rushed to the doors of the trailer in time to see the zebra galloping down a wide boulevard lined with hotels and casinos and neon signs. We had just released a zebra in Las Vegas.

Maurice and Eddie ran after it, with a few policemen running after them, shouting, "Hey! You need a permit for that!"

''Now would be a good time to leave.'' Annabeth said.

"The other animals first." Grover said.

I cut the locks with my sword. Grover raised his hands and spoke the same goat blessing he had used for the zebra.

"Good luck." I told the animals. The antelope and the lion burst out of their cages and went off together into the streets.

Some tourists screamed. Most just backed off and took pictures, probably thinking it was some kind of stunt by one of the casinos.

"Will the animals be okay?" I asked Grover. "I mean, the desert and all-"

"Do not worry," he said. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."

I said "Meaning….?"

"Meaning they will reach the wild safely," he said. "They will find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."

"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" I asked.

"It only works on wild animals." Grover explained.

"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned.

"Hey!" I protested.

"Kidding," she said. "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck!"

Peter appeared out of the shadow and said "That _was_ funny Perse!"

No commented on him, by now we were use to him coming and going disappearing and appearing.

We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was 104 Fahrenheit, easy, and we must have looked like deep fried vagrants, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.

We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, but still made me homesick.

I was not sure what we were looking for, maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, and make a new plan for getting west.

We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking.

No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air conditioning that smelled like flowers – lotus blossom, maybe. I had never smelled one, so I was not sure.

The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"

I had learned to be suspicious, the last week or so. I figured anybody might be a monster or a god.

You just could not tell. But this guy was normal. One look at him, and I could see. Besides, I was so relieved to hear somebody who sounded sympathetic that I nodded and said we would love to come in, but Peter he looked a little sick, I dismissed it as heat sickness or something. Peter tried to protest, but we dragged him in any.

Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Whoa."

The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I am not talking about cheesy old Pac Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor water slide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee jumping bridge. There were virtual reality suits with working laser guns and hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.

"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white and yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts and flip flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here is your room key."

I stammered, "Um, but…"

"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill is taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your Lotus Cash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."

He handed us each a green plastic credit card, Peter frowned at it.

I knew there must be some mistake. Obviously he thought we were some millionaire's kids. But

I took the card and said, "How much is on here?"

His eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when does it run out of cash?"

He laughed. "Oh, you are making a joke. Hey, that is cool. Enjoy your stay!"

We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas and crisps. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and waterbeds with feather pillows. A big screen television with satellite and high speed Internet.

The balcony had its own hot tub and, sure enough, there was a skeet shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun.

I did not see how that could be legal, but I thought it was pretty cool. The view over the Strip and the desert was amazing, though I doubted we had ever have time to look at the view with a room like this.

"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is…"

"Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet."

There were clothes in the closet, and they fitted me. I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.

I threw Hercules backpack in the trash can would not need that any more. When we left, I could just charge a new one at the hotel store.

I took a shower, which felt awesome after a week of grimy travel. I changed clothes, ate a bag of crisps, drank three Cokes and came out feeling better than I had in a long time. In the back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me. I had had a dream or something… I needed to talk to my friends.

But I was sure it could wait.

I came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth, Grover and Peter had also showered and changed clothes. Grover was eating crisps to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel, Peter was cleaning a shotgun.

"All those stations," I told her, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"

"It is interesting." She replied.

Peter said not looking up "I enjoy NatGeo, but I prefer Animal Planet or maybe Discovery, but it works."

"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."

Without his even realizing it, the wings sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.

"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"

Peter said "That would be wise, we do not have much time, rest up and get your strength back."

Grover and I looked at each other and grinned. We both held up our green plastic Lotus Cash cards.

"Play time!" I said.

I could not remember the last time I had so much fun. I came from a relatively poor family. Our idea of a splurge was eating out at Burger King and renting a video.

A five star Vegas hotel?

Forget it!

I bungee jumped the lobby five or six times, did the waterslide, snowboarded the artificial ski slope and played virtual reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter. I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing – where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks.

I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3 D sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board. I didn't think much of it, but Annabeth loved it.

Peter was either shooting the shotgun or he was throwing some darts, wait, did I just see a throwing knife board?

I am not sure when I first realized something was wrong.

Probably, it was when I noticed the guy standing next to me at VR sharpshooters. He was about thirteen, I guess, but his clothes were weird. I thought he was some Elvis impersonator's son. He wore bell bottoms and a red T shirt with black piping, and his hair was permed and gelled like a New Jersey girl's on homecoming night.

We played a game of sharpshooters together and he said, "Groovy, man. Been here two weeks, and the games keep getting better and better."

' _Groovy?'_ I thought, I had a sick feeling that something was wrong.

Later, while we were talking, I said something "rocked", and he looked at me kind of puzzled, as if he had never heard the word used that way before.

He said his name was Darrin, but as soon as I started asking him questions he got bored with me and started to go back to the computer screen.

I said, "Hey, Darrin?"

HE replied "What?''

I asked "What year is it?"

He frowned at me. "In the game?"

"No. In real life." I asked.

He had to think about it. "1977."

"No," I said, getting a little scared. "Really."

"Hey, man. Bad vibes. I got a game happening." After that he totally ignored me.

I started talking to people, and I found it was not easy. They were glued to the TV screen, or the video game, or their food, or whatever. I found a guy who told me it was 1985. Another guy told me it was 1993. They all claimed they had not been in here very long, a few days, or a few weeks at most.

They did not really know and they did not care.

Then it occurred to me: how long had I been here? It seemed like only a couple of hours, but was it really?

I tried to remember why we were here. We were going to Los Angeles. We were supposed to find the entrance to the Underworld. My mother… for a scary second, I had trouble remembering her name. Sally. Sally Jackson. I had to find her. I had to stop Hades from causing World War III.

I found Annabeth still building her city.

"Come on,'" I told her. "We have got to get out of here.!"

No response.

I shook her. "Annabeth?"

She looked up, annoyed. ''What?''

I told her "We need to leave.''

"Leave? What are you talking about? I have just got the towers-" She began to say, but I cut her off with

"This. Place. Is. A. Trap." I said slowly.

She did not respond until I shook her again. "What?"

"Listen. The Underworld. Our quest!" I tried to convince her.

"Oh, come on, Percy. Just a few more minutes, please?" She practically begged.

"Annabeth, there are people here from 1977. Kids who have never aged. You check in, and you stay forever."

"So?" she asked. "Can you imagine a better place?"

I grabbed her wrist and yanked her away from the game.

"Hey!" She screamed and hit me, but nobody else even bothered looking at us. They were too busy.

I made her look directly in my eyes. I said, "Spiders. Large, hairy spiders."

That jarred her. Her vision cleared. "Oh my gods," she said. "How long have we-"

"I do not know, but we have got to find Grover and Peter!"

We went searching, and found him still playing Virtual Deer Hunter.

"Grover!" we both shouted.

He said, "Die, human! Die, silly polluting nasty person!"

"Grover!" we shouted.

He turned the plastic gun on me and started clicking, as if I were just another image from the screen.

I looked at Annabeth, and together we took Grover by the arms and dragged him away. His flying shoes sprang to life and started tugging his legs in the other direction as he shouted, "No! I just got to a new level! No!"

We found Peter at the gun rang with a forty - four Magnum and a Nine millimeter glock.

Peter said "It is about time! Let get to Hades!"

We began to rush towards the exit, but the Lotus bellhop hurried up to us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"

'"We are leaving," I told him.

"Such a shame," he said, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we would be breaking his heart if we went. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum card members."

He held out the cards, and I wanted one. I knew that if I took one, I would never leave. I would stay here, happy forever, playing games forever, and soon I would forget my mom, and my quest, and maybe even my own name. I would be playing virtual rifleman with groovy Disco Darrin forever.

Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks."

We walked towards the door, and as we did, the smell of the food and the sounds of the games seemed to get more and more inviting. I thought about our room upstairs. We could just stay the night; sleep in a real bed for once…

Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk. It felt like afternoon, about the same time of day we'd gone into the casino, but something was wrong. The weather had completely changed. It was stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert.

Hercules's backpack was slung over my shoulder, which was odd, because I was sure I had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001, but at the moment I had other problems to worry about.

I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Thank the gods, it was the same year it had been when we went in. Then I noticed the date: June twentieth.

We had been in the Lotus Casino for five days.

We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

We jumped into the back of the trailer and it reeked of feces and ammonia. It was so strong, that I noticed that Grover wanted to gag. I wanted to too, I am a wolf and this just was torture for me! When I get my hand… err… fangs in him I will make him suffer!

The trailer was dark inside until Percy uncapped Anaklusmos. The blade cast a faint bronze light over a very sad scene. Sitting in a row of filthy metal cages were three of the most pathetic zoo animals I had ever beheld: a zebra, a male albino lion and antelope.

Someone had thrown the lion a sack of turnips, which of course he did not want to eat.

The zebra and the antelope had each got a polystyrene tray of hamburger meat.

The zebra's mane was matted with chewing gum, like somebody had been spitting on it in their spare time.

The antelope had a stupid silver birthday balloon tied to one of his horns that read **OVER THE HILL!**

Apparently, nobody had wanted to get close enough to the lion to mess with him, but the poor thing was pacing around on soiled blankets, in a space way too small for him, panting from the stuffy heat of the trailer. He had flies buzzing around his pink eyes and his ribs showed through his white fur, he was half starved to death.

"This is kindness?" Grover yelled. "Humane zoo transport?"

I snarled in anger and said _I will show them what_ Humane _is when give them what they deserve!"_

I would have hopped out and literally bite them in the butt as the saying goes, but of course the van began to pull. So we all had to either sit down, or fall down.

We huddled in the corner on some mildewed feed sacks, trying to ignore the smell and the heat and the flies. Grover and I were talking to the animals, but they just stared at us sadly. They seemed broken and beat, I could not blame them. This IS HOT, I am sure they are not being fed and watered! I want to see the humans go like this for a few miles!

Annabeth was in favour of breaking the cages and freeing them on the spot, but Percy pointed out it would not do much good until the truck stopped moving.

Percy found a water jug and refilled their bowls, then used Anaklusmos to drag the mismatched food out of their cages. Percy gave the meat to the lion and the turnips to the zebra and the antelope.

Grover calmed the antelope down, while Annabeth used her knife to cut the balloon off his horn. I sat in the shadows away from them to stay out of the way. I was panting heavily.

She wanted to cut the gum out of the zebra's mane, too, but they decided that would be too risky with the truck bumping around. Percy and Annabeth told Grover to promise the animals they would help them more in the morning, and then we settled in for the night.

Grover curled up on a turnip sack; Annabeth opened our bag of Double Stuff Oreos and nibbled on one half heartedly.

It was only June fourteenth. The solstice was not until the twenty first. We could make it in plenty of time, if Tyke was on our side, but the problem is that luck is very seldom on our side.

Annabeth said out of nowhere "Hey, I am sorry for freaking out back at the water park, Percy."

He replied "That is okay."

"It is just…" She shuddered. "Spiders."

"Because of the Arachne story," Percy guessed.

I thought _"No duh genius!"_

"She got turned into a spider for challenging your mom to a weaving contest, right?" Percy continued.

Annabeth nodded. "Arachne's children have been taking revenge on the children of Athena ever since. If there is a spider within a mile of me, it will find me. I hate the creepy little things. Anyway, I owe you."

"We are a team, remember?'' Percy said. ''Besides, Grover did the fancy flying.''

I thought he was asleep, but he mumbled from the corner, "I was pretty amazing, wasn't I?"

Annabeth and Percy laughed.

She pulled apart an Oreo, handed Percy half. "In the Iris message… did Luke really say nothing?"

Percy munched on his cookie before saying "Luke said you and he go way back. He also said Grover wouldn't fail this time. Nobody would turn into a pine tree."

I could clearly see all of their faces in the dimly lit room.

Grover let out a mournful bray.

"I should have told you the truth from the beginning." His voice trembled. "I thought if you knew what a failure I was, you would not want me along."

"You were the satyr who tried to rescue Thalia, the daughter of Zeus." Percy stated.

Once again I rolled my eyes.

He nodded glumly.

"And the other two half bloods Thalia befriended, the ones who got safely to camp…" Percy looked at Annabeth. "That was you and Luke, wasn't it?"

She put down her Oreo, uneaten. "Like you said, Percy, a seven year old half blood would not have made it very far alone. Athena guided me towards help. Thalia was twelve. Luke was fourteen. They had both run away from home, like me. They were happy to take me with them. They were… amazing monster-fighters, even without training. We travelled north from Virginia without any real plans, fending off monsters for about two weeks before Grover found us."

"I was supposed to escort Thalia to camp," he said, sniffling. "Only Thalia. I had strict orders from

Chiron: do _not_ do _anything_ that would slow down the rescue. We knew Hades was after her, see, but I could not just leave Luke and Annabeth by themselves. I thought… I thought I could lead all three of them to safety. It was my fault the Kindly Ones caught up with us. I froze. I got scared on the way back to camp and took some wrong turns. If I had just been a little quicker…"

"Stop it," Annabeth said. "No one blames you. Thalia did not blame you either."

"She sacrificed herself to save us," he said miserably. "Her death was my fault. The Council of Cloven Elders said so."

"Because you would not leave two other half bloods behind?" Percy said. "That is not fair."

I said " _Grover you saved two lives! Thalia would not want you like this! She was tough and she loved you, Annabeth and Luke. She sacrificed herself for you, so you could live! Not so you could keep beating yourself up!"_

"Percy is right," Annabeth said. "I would not be here today if it were not for you, Grover. Neither would Luke. We do not care what the council says."

Grover kept sniffling in the dark. "It is just my luck. I am the lamest satyr ever, and I find the two most powerful half bloods of the century, Thalia and Percy."

I thought _"If finding two of the big three is lame, then it must be a good thing!"_

"You are not lame," Annabeth insisted. "You have got more courage than any satyr I have ever met. Name one other who would dare go to the Underworld. I bet Percy is really glad you are here right now."

She kicked Percy in the shin, I could not help but give a small chuckle, or what would have been a chuckle if I was human.

Percy said "Yeah, It is not luck that you found Thalia and me, Grover. You have got the biggest heart of any satyr ever. You are a natural searcher. That is why you will be the one who finds Pan."

I heard a deep, satisfied sigh. I waited for Grover to say something, but his breathing only got heavier. When the sound turned to snoring. Grover fell asleep quickly!.

"How does he do that?" Percy marveled.

"I really do not know,' Annabeth said. "But that was really a nice thing you told him."

"I meant it." Percy said evenly.

We rode in silence for a few miles, bumping around on the feed sacks. The zebra munched a turnip.

The lion licked the last of the hamburger meat off his lips and looked at Percy hopefully. I think Percy was nerous about that!

Annabeth rubbed her necklace like she was thinking deep, strategic thoughts.

Percy tired to start up a conversation "That pine tree bead, Is that from your first year?"

She looked like she had not realized what she was doing.

"Yeah," she said. "Every August, the counselors pick the most important event of the summer, and they paint it on that year's beads. I have got Thalia's pine tree, a Greek trireme on fire, a centaur in a prom dress, now _that_ was a weird summer…"

"And the college ring is your father's?" Percy guessed.

I rolled my eyes and growled under my breath " _Aren't you the smart one?"_

"That is none of your –'' She stopped herself. "Yeah. Yeah, it is."

"You do not have to tell me, if you do not want to." Percy said.

"No… it is okay." She took a shaky breath. "My dad sent it to me folded up in a letter, two summers ago. The ring was, like, his main keepsake from Athena. He would not have got through his doctoral programmed at Harvard without her… That is a long story. Anyway, he said he wanted me to have it. He apologized for being a jerk, said he loved me and missed me. He wanted me to come home and live with him."

"That does not sound so bad." Percy replied.

"Yeah, well… the problem was, I believed him. I tried to go home for that school year, but my stepmom was the same as ever. She did not want her kids put in danger by living with a freak.

Monsters attacked. We argued. Monsters attacked. We argued. I did not even make it through winter break. I called Chiron and came right back to Camp Half Blood."

"You think you will ever try living with your dad again?" Percy asked.

She would not meet my eyes. "Please. I am not into self inflicted pain."

"You should not give up," Percy told her. "You should write him a letter or something."

"Thanks for the advice," she said coldly, "but my father's made his choice about who he wants to live with."

We passed another few miles of silence.

I gave a soft bark letting them know I was still here and I was hungry!

Percy reached into the bag, and then he frowned for a second.

 _Here is the Antidote for dog breath._

 _-Hercules, the greatest hero of all time._

Percy said to me "Come over here Pete, I found something for you."

I growled when Percy said my nickname, but came to him regardless. He showed him the note that said;

 _Here is the Antidote for dog breath._

 _-Hercules, the greatest hero of all time._

I said cocked my head and I gave a soft whine " _How can I drink this?"_

Percy must haverealized, in fact I could not open the vile.

He blushed and said "Ok lean your head back and open your mouth bud."

I did just that.

Percy uncorked the vile and poured the foul smelling stuff down my throat! It was some of the worst tasting thing I have ever had in my life!

Once every last drop was consumed I sat on my haunches feeling sick. I laid down just as Percy began to talk again, ' _Oh joy!'_ I thought sarcastically.

"So if the gods fight," Percy said, "will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena versus Poseidon?"

She put her head against the backpack Hercules had given us, and closed her eyes. "I do not know what my mom will do. I just know I will fight next to you."

Percy asked "Why?''

"Because you are my friend, Seaweed Brain. Any more stupid questions?" She asked.

I barked out an question _"Does Percy have a shut up button?"_

She rolled her eyes and said "I do not speak dog."

I gave her puppy eyes, so this form WAS good at something! Annabeth sighed and scratched the back of my head.

She hit an itchy spot because one of my hind legs went thumping, I groaned into it and pushed against her hand

She giggled, she slowed down, so did my leg, and then she sped up again, and my leg mirrored her. She stopped after a bit and I plopped my head down in her lap.

She giggled and soon I was fast asleep.

I was having a nightmare, I was back in my old house with my stepfather, he began to cut me up, I did not say a word. He gave a wicked grin, and then he pulled out my sister, he got the knife and began to cut her slow and deep I said _"Stop! Please stop! Don't hurt her!"_

My sister looked at me and said _"You are a disgrace! How can I even be related to you! I_ **HATE** _you!"_

I began to sob as she and my mother began to beat me, they began disowning me. I felt Charles behind me and that as when I woke up with a start.

My eyes snapped open, and I was panting I tried to get up, but Annabeth was holding me down as she began to whisper in my ear, she was succeeding in calming me down, but I noticed I was in pain. It felt like my blood was on fire.

Percy said "Guys, uh… Peter is glowing…"

Annabeth stepped back and saw what he meant; she swallowed nervously and said "I have no idea…"

I gave a low growl _"The potion is working! I should be human again in about two minutes!"_ I gave a slight growl of pain and said _"It burns!"_

Grover translated for me saying "Peter said, the potion is finally setting in, and it burns. I think I should be human again in about two minute, probably less."

About a minute later, the hair on my face and body began to fall out, my felt face shortened and my canines began to retract into my mouth. My front paws began to form hands, I felt my bones break and grow and stretched before setting back in place, it was extremely painful!

Percy quickly threw me the backpack and Grover tossed me the turnip bag.

I was completely human in exactly ninety seconds.

I was stunned, all of a sudden I felt cool, well numb actually. I gave a sigh of relief.

I saw Annabeth blushing.

I growled at myself for being shocked and not doing something quicker, that growl knocked sense into everyone.

Percy turned around and faced the wall, and then Percy gently spun Annabeth around with him and Percy said to me "Peter, I noticed there were some clothes in there that I know you would like."

I gave a huff and a few seconds later I said "I am descent enough."

I found some clothes I liked and I wore: a black cargo pants, a black hoodie and a pair of military steel toed boots.

Percy opened his mouth, but he could not even utter a sound.

I said "When I was young… well… younger… I was abused by my stepfather. He was a drunk war veteran, who my mother married. He was very abusive-"

Annabeth cut me off and whispered "That _**IS**_ not abuse…"

I sighed and said "This is nothing, compared to what he did that broke me."

I Percy "What did he do?"

I snarled and I felt my eyes turned to blood red as I said "Why should I tell you _brother_?! I have survived alone this long, and I can and will do so again!" I gave another snarled.

Annabeth slowly walked towards me, but the van hit a bump, but before she could fall down, I caught her.

I whispered gently "Be careful." I did not want to see her hurt, or anyone else for that matter.

Annabeth wrapped her arms around my neck and said "Peter, we are your friends, we want to help."

I wanted to believe her, but I just could not do it, at least not yet.

Percy said "Peter we are family!"

I chuckled darkly and said "I watched my stepfather blow my mother's head off with a shotgun, her brains and blood painted the wall. My sister and I knocked him over while we ran out. A few years later, my sister was murdered by the Manticore!"

I was fighting off tears, which was a easy thing to do when you are a son of Poseidon. I tried not to make the room any darker.

Grover gave a mournful bleat.

I shut his eyes and whispered "Every time, I get close to someone they get hurt. I was cursed a while back and the cures gave a prophecy that went something like this;

" _A Wander lost  
shall bare a cost._

The choice brings life or Death  
By the savior's last breath."

Not the best prophecy I know, but it serves its purpose."

Annabeth said to me "Peter…."

Percy said "Peter, we are family, we can do this!"

I sighed and said "there is more," I cleared my throat and sung;

" _A world shattered beyond repair  
The Wander has a curse to bare!_

 _The power of life or Death  
Found or lost in a single breath"_

Once I was done Percy cleared his throat and said "You have a nice singing voice."

I growled and glared at him.

Percy said "Are you sure that applies to you?"

Annabeth said "Percy is right Peter, that could be anyone.

I said "I wish, but there is one final line to sing;

 _The forgotten child,  
Never once tender and mild._

 _The one with no name  
shall bare the greatest shame!_

 _The Wanderer lost in grief,  
Will he ever turn over a new leaf?_

 _Will he mend or will he rend?_

 _Fate shall come down to a single child."_

Percy asked "Ok… what is the greatest shame?"

I growled out and said "Figure it out yourself."

Annabeth said "We can help-"

I cut her off with a loud growl "I need no help!" I snarled as I began to fall into the darkness.

I felt myself and the darkness merge. I do not know where I went, but the next thing I knew I was in a forest. I took in my surroundings, it felt familiar. As if, I was here before…

I shook off the feeling as I began to walk in the forest.

After about three minutes of walking, I walked into a clearing, with a stone chimney in the middle of it. I walked towards it as if in a trance, images flashed before my eyes as I slowly walked towards it.

I saw a house, well more like a cabin, a rustic, old cabin.

Then the image flickered off and all I saw again was the old, cold stone chimney.

It flickered again and I was in the cabin, I saw a kid with icy blue eyes and a mop of brown spiky hair, who looked no older than two, I saw two females, one was easily the mother holding the baby close to her chest with a look of pure love on her face, the other was easily guessed as the sister, who was about five maybe seven, I could not tell. She had a look of love on her face as well.

Then the scene changed back to the clearing.

I walked towards the chimney area, and the images began to go faster and faster until I reached the chimney.

Once I was there, I saw two children pushing down a large, drunk man and run out the door. A girl appeared out of the fire, with… well fire in her eyes that spoke of unfathomable wrath and anger. The male child looked back and quickly ran off. The girl spoke in ancient language that he now knows is Ancient Greek. The man's body turned to ash and the house began to burn. ..

The fire burned away the image leaving me alone in the clearing, on my knees in front of the old cold stone chimney.

I realized that this _WAS_ my old house and Hestia **HAD** been there…

I quietly asked "Where were you when I needed you the most? Where were you when my sister needed you?" I felt tear running down my face.

The weather turned dark, the wind began to howl and the sky began to darken with storm clouds, lightning flashed angrily about the sky. The shadows of the forest around him darkened. The grass I was standing on began to wither and die. The dead grass spread quickly like a wild fire in a drought. The earth began to shake, and a skeleton began to form in front of me, I knew who _it_ was. In rage, I burned the skeleton before he was complete formed with Greek Fire, the green fire incinerated the skeleton.

I fell to my knees and began to cry, at first it was a silent sob, but it quickly escalated. Soon I was down right sobbing; it began to poor down rain and hail.

A few moments later I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me. I knew who it was. I whispered, my voice was hoarse and weary "We didn't you save me? Why didn't you save my sister? Why?..."

Hestia did not say anything, she gently wrapped me in her arms, and she rocked me back and forth. She hummed a tune that made me relax.

Hestia finally spoke and said with a tears down her face "I could not help you…"

I snarled and said "The ancient laws says "Parent" you could have done _WHAT_ you wanted! I am not a demigod anyway. I am more like either a triblood or something more."

Hestia began to whisper apology after apology as she too began to cry. We cried on each other, the weather worsened for bit, before it got better.

I could not tell you how long we wept, but what I can tell you is that I am exhausted! The weather sucked the energy right out of me, plus all of the emotional stuff.

Hestia said gently "Peter, you have to go back to the quest."

I frowned but said "Ok…" I took a deep breath and shadow traveled.

I arrived just in time to hear Percy talk, but I stayed hidden for a few seconds to eavesdrop.

"Will the animals be okay?" Percy asked Grover. "I mean, the desert and all-"

"Do not worry," Grover said. "I placed a satyr's sanctuary on them."

Percy said "Meaning….?"

"Meaning they will reach the wild safely," he said. "They will find water, food, shade, whatever they need until they find a safe place to live."

"Why can't you place a blessing like that on us?" Percy asked.

"It only works on wild animals." Grover explained.

"So it would only affect Percy," Annabeth reasoned.

"Hey!" Percy protested.

"Kidding," she said. "Come on. Let's get out of this filthy truck!"

I stepped out of the shadows and said "That _was_ funny Perse!"

No commented on me, I mean by now they have better get use to me doing this, coming and going appearing and disappearing, I have no intentions of changing.

We stumbled out into the desert afternoon. It was easily 104 Fahrenheit, easy, and Percy, Annabeth and Grover looked liked as if than ran through the desert and smelt like they played in kitty liter, but everybody was too interested in the wild animals to pay us much attention.

We passed the Monte Carlo and the MGM. We passed pyramids, a pirate ship and the Statue of Liberty, which was a pretty small replica, it jogged my memory of a few things, but I could not place them.

I was not sure what we were looking for, maybe just a place to get out of the heat for a few minutes, find a sandwich and a glass of lemonade, and make a new plan for getting west.

We must have taken a wrong turn, because we found ourselves at a dead end, standing in front of the Lotus Hotel and Casino. The entrance was a huge neon flower, the petals lighting up and blinking.

No one was going in or out, but the glittering chrome doors were open, spilling out air conditioning that smelled like flowers – lotus blossoms… I had a bad feeling about this!

The doorman smiled at us. "Hey, kids. You look tired. You want to come in and sit down?"

I was skeptical as always, my danger sense was blaring at me, making me feel real sick.

You just could not tell. But this guy was normal.

Percy nodded and said we would love to come in, but I tried to protest, but they dragged me in against my will and against my wishes, not that they cared.

Inside, we took one look around, and Grover said, "Whoa."

The whole lobby was a giant game room. And I am not talking about cheesy old Pac Man games or slot machines. There was an indoor water slide snaking around the glass elevator, which went straight up at least forty floors. There was a climbing wall on the side of one building, and an indoor bungee jumping bridge. There were virtual reality suits with working laser guns and hundreds of video games, each one the size of a widescreen TV. Basically, you name it, this place had it. There were a few other kids playing, but not that many. No waiting for any of the games. There were waitresses and snack bars all around, serving every kind of food you can imagine.

"Hey!" a bellhop said. At least I guessed he was a bellhop. He wore a white and yellow Hawaiian shirt with lotus designs, shorts and flip flops. "Welcome to the Lotus Casino. Here is your room key."

Percy stammered, "Um, but…"

"No, no," he said, laughing. "The bill is taken care of. No extra charges, no tips. Just go on up to the top floor, room 4001. If you need anything, like extra bubbles for the hot tub, or skeet targets for the shooting range, or whatever, just call the front desk. Here are your Lotus Cash cards. They work in the restaurants and on all the games and rides."

He handed Percy, Grover and Annabeth each a green plastic credit card, but I resisted and frowned at it.

I knew this must be some mistake, coming in here, my danger sense was telling me of impending doom.

Percy took the card and said, "How much is on here?"

His eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, when does it run out of cash?" Percy asked.

He laughed. "Oh, you are making a joke. Hey, that is cool. Enjoy your stay!"

I frowned not liking this one bit, but I had a feeling there was something here for me to see…

We took the elevator upstairs and checked out our room. It was a suite with three separate bedrooms and a bar stocked with candy, sodas and crisps. A hotline to room service. Fluffy towels and waterbeds with feather pillows. A big screen television with satellite and high speed Internet.

The balcony had its own hot tub and, sure enough, there was a skeet shooting machine and a shotgun, so you could launch clay pigeons right out over the Las Vegas skyline and plug them with your gun. I knew what ever this place was, it was illegal.

"Oh, goodness," Annabeth said. "This place is…"

"Sweet," Grover said. "Absolutely sweet."

There were some clothes in the closet, and they fitted me and was more my style.

I frowned, thinking that this was a little strange.

I saw Percy throw Hercules backpack in the trash.

Percy took a shower.

I had a feeling in back of my mind, some small problem kept nagging me, and telling me to 'leave' and ' _get out'_

Percy came out of the bedroom and found that Annabeth, Grover and me had also showered and changed clothes.

Grover was eating crisps to his heart's content, while Annabeth cranked up the National Geographic Channel, I myself was cleaning a shotgun, I may not like guns, but I had a feeling that maybe Charles Beckendorf could set me up with a Celestial bronze ammo for the gun. That could be very useful against most monsters, a fricking shotgun to the face! That would mess up anybody's day!

"All those stations," Percy told Annabeth, "and you turn on National Geographic. Are you insane?"

"It is interesting." She replied.

I said without even looking up "I enjoy NatGeo, but I prefer Animal Planet or maybe Discovery, but it works."

"I feel good," Grover said. "I love this place."

Without his even realizing it, the wings sprouted out of his shoes and lifted him a foot off the ground, then back down again.

"So what now?" Annabeth asked. "Sleep?"

I said "That would be wise, we do not have much time, rest up and get your strength back."

Grover and Percy looked at each other and grinned. They both held up our green plastic Lotus Cash cards.

"Play time!" Percy said.

I chose to take a quick nap, because I knew we would need our energy, besides, I was still drained from my weather show. A took an hour nap before I found Percy.

I saw Percy bungee jumping the lobby a few times, he did the waterslide and of course I did too. Why? Water! It helps me heal and regain my energy! Percy snowboarded the artificial ski slope and played virtual reality laser tag and FBI sharpshooter.

I saw Grover a few times, going from game to game. He really liked the reverse hunter thing – where the deer go out and shoot the rednecks.

I saw Annabeth playing trivia games and other brainiac stuff. They had this huge 3 D sim game where you build your own city, and you could actually see the holographic buildings rise on the display board.

I thought it was actually pretty cool, but Annabeth sure loved it.

However I was either shooting the shotgun or he was throwing some darts, it was only later did I fine the throwing stars and knives. Let's say I pocketed a few of them, and let me tell you, these trench coats they have A LOT of big pockets! I stockpiled weapons, I noticed a lot of them were silver, I loved silver, but it gave me a mild rash when I touched it. I realized something was wrong.

I was wandering around until a kid about ten years old literally ran into me, he hit me and bounced off. He landed on his butt. I got a good look at him, he was pale, I mean corpse like pale, and his eyes were dark brown, almost black. He had black hair, but unlike Percy's it did not look wild. He looked up at me and tried to apologize, I waved him off and said "It is fine, you ok little man?"

The boy frowned and said "I am Nico."

I shrugged and said "Ok, my name is Peter Perseus." I reached my arm out for a hand shake.

Nico said "My name is Nico di Angelo"

I gave him a nod.

A few second or two later a girl who was a little older than Nico, I would say about ten or twelve years old. She saw and said "Sorry about this, I do not know how many times I tell him **NOT** to wander off!"

I waved her off and said "It is ok. Nico seems to be a good kid."

Nico said excited "Peter, this is my big sister Bianca!"

I shook her hand and said "Pleasure to meet you."

I could have sworn she blushed.

I was going to say something, but Nico said "Peter, can you please play a game with me?"

Bianca said "Nico, please do not bug him."

I waved her off and said "Bianca, I really would not mind, most people tend to avoid me."

Nico grabbed onto my hand and dragged me off. Bianca followed closely behind me.

Nico showed me how to play with Mythomagic cards, it was actually fun, I actually got Bianca to play a few hands. I could barely sense something about them; it felt like shadows and the dead. It did not feel creepy to me, because I embrace darkness and death.

Anyways…

After some time, I had to bid them fair well.

They left one way and I left another…

I went back to the gun range, I was shooting a 44 and a Nine millimeter glock when Annabeth, Grover and Percy found me, I said "It is about time! Let get to Hades!"

We began to rush towards the exit, but the Lotus bellhop hurried up to us. "Well, now, are you ready for your platinum cards?"

'"We are leaving," and a Nine millimeter glock told him.

"Such a shame," he said, and I got the feeling that he really meant it, that we would be breaking his heart if we went. "We just added an entire new floor full of games for platinum card members."

He held out the cards, as if begging and bribing us to stay, but all I did was shake my head.

Grover reached for the card, but Annabeth yanked back his arm and said, "No, thanks."

We walked towards the door, and as we did, the smell of the food and the sounds of the games seemed to get more hypnotic.

Then we burst through the doors of the Lotus Casino and ran down the sidewalk. It felt like afternoon, about the same time of day we had gone into the casino, but something was wrong.

The weather had completely changed. It was stormy, with heat lightning flashing out in the desert.

Hercules's backpack was slung over Percy's shoulder, which was odd, because I was know he had thrown it in the trash can in room 4001, I did not have time to ponder it because I ran to the nearest newspaper stand and read the year first. Thank the goodness; it was the same year it had been when we went in. Then I noticed the date: June twentieth.

We had been in the Lotus Casino for five days.

We had only one day left until the summer solstice. One day to complete our quest.

I knew we had time, but we would have to hurry…

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is another chapter, there are only six chapters left, I think I should be able to make it.**

 **Do you think I should try to put Peter more into his Spider Man character? IE more talkative, annoying, kind and compassionate? Or should I keep Peter dark and mysterious?**

 **I was never too good at poetry, so I hope the riddle / prophecy were good.**

 **If you have any question, or any suggestion I would love to hear them!**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me!  
**

 **Death Fury signing off for now!**

 **PS: One last thing, what do you think is wrong with Peter?**


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you for all of the reviews and support I am getting!**

 **Thank you "Tabris the 17th angle" for your review: I think I should try to get deeper into Peter's psyche in future chapters. I am glad you liked the surprise of Hercules. I did base a lot of Peter on Wolverine (Logan). I will try to get some 'fun' in a few chapters, I wonder how Peter will react to it…**

 **Thank you "Man285" for your review as well: Glad you thought I did a good job!**

 **Thank you "Nobel Six" for your review as well: Glad you thought I did excellent work, what happened to Peter? Hercules cursed Peter to a wolf, then he had to drink something that made his anatomy change, then he touched silver and get an allergic reaction… Now what do you think happened?**

 **The story is continuing in a forward motion!**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

It was Annabeth's idea.

She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."

The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That is three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."

"You accept casino debit cards?''Annabeth asked.

He shrugged. "Some of them. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe them through, first."

Annabeth handed him her green Lotus Cash card.

He looked at it skeptically.

"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.

He did.

His meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.

The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles… uh, Your Highness?"

Peter face palmed and muttered "Just stroke her ego…" He muttered something about either "humus" that or " _Hubris_ " I ca not remember.

"The Santa Monica pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter.

I could tell she liked the 'Your Highness' thing.

"Get us there fast, and you can keep the change." She finished.

Maybe she should not have told him that…

The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety five the whole way through the Mojave Desert.

On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. I told Annabeth and Grover about my latest dream, but the details got sketchier the more I tried to remember them.

The Lotus Casino seemed to have short circuited my memory. I could not recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though I was sure it was somebody I knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord"… some special name or title…

"The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades."

"Maybe…" I said, though neither sounded quite right.

Peter said quietly "The Crooked One…"

I looked at him and said "What did you say?"

Peter looked at me and shrugged.

I gave him a look, but he rolled his eyes and said "I was more or less talking to myself.

"That throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover said. "That is the way it is usually described."

I shook my head. "Something is wrong. The throne room was not the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit… I do not know. It just did not feel like a god's voice."

Annabeth's eyes widened.

"What?" I asked.

"Oh… nothing. I was just – No, it _has_ to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong –"

I asked ''Like what?''

"I – I do not know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That is what the voice said in your dream, right?

The guy failed. That would explain what the Furies were searching for when they came after us on the bus. Maybe they thought we had retrieved the bolt."

I was not sure what was wrong with her but she looked pale.

''But if I had already retrieved the bolt," I said, "why would I be travelling to the Underworld?"

"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."

I whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."

Grover's reply went like this "Why, thank you."

Peter said "No, no mere mortal can wield the master bolt."

I replied "True, besides the thing in the pit said it was waiting for _two_ items. If the master bolt is one, what is the other?'

Grover shook his head, clearly mystified.

Annabeth was looking at me as if she knew my next question, and was silently willing me not to ask it.

''You have an idea what might be in that pit, do not you?'' I asked her. ''I mean, if it is not Hades?''

"Percy… let's not talk about it. Because if it is not Hades… No. It has to be Hades!"

Peter sighed and said just loud enough for us to hear him "Why are you so sure? There is a domain within the Underworld that Hades has no control of. I am talking about the Pit…" The air seemed to chill and the way he said it sent shivers up and down my spine, there was an ominous tone in his voice that foretold danger and doom.

Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said: CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.

I got the feeling I was missing one simple, critical piece of information. It was like when I stared at a common word I should know, but I could not make sense of it because one or two letters were floating around. The more I thought about my quest, the more I was sure that confronting Hades was not the real answer. There was something else going on, something even more dangerous.

The problem was: we were hurtling towards the Underworld at ninety five miles an hour, betting that Hades had the master bolt. If we got there and found out we were wrong, we would not have time to correct ourselves. The solstice deadline would pass and war would begin. Maybe Peter was right after all…

"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured me. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy.

There is only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."

She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead, but my heart was not in it. There were just too many unknown factors. It was like cramming for a test without knowing the subject. And believe me, I had done _that_ enough times.

The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead.

Every time the brakes hissed on an eighteen wheeler, it reminded me of Echidna's reptilian voice.

At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse. There were carnival rides lining the pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave.

Grover, Annabeth and I walked down to the edge of the surf.

"What now?" Annabeth asked.

The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. I thought about how long it had been since I had stood on the beach at Montauk, on the opposite side of the country, looking out at a different sea.

How could there be a god who could control all that? What did my science teacher used to say two thirds of the earth's surface was covered in water? How could I be the son of someone that powerful?

I stepped into the surf.

"Percy?" Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"

I kept walking, up to my waist, then my chest.

She called after me, "You know how polluted that water is? There're all kinds of toxic.-"

Peter cut her off and said "Annabeth, this is something Percy has to do _alone_."

That was when my head went under.

I held my breath at first. It is difficult to intentionally inhale water.

Finally I could not stand it anymore.

I gasped.

Sure enough, I could breathe normally.

I walked down into the shoals. I should not have been able to see through the murk, but somehow I could tell where everything was. I could sense the rolling texture of the bottom. I could make out sand dollar colonies dotting the sandbars. I could even see the currents, warm and cold streams swirling together. It was _**AMAZING**_!

I felt something rub against my leg. I looked down and almost shot out of the water like a ballistic missile. Sliding along beside me was a two meter long Mako Shark.

But the thing was not attacking. It was nuzzling me. Heeling like a dog.

Tentatively, I touched its dorsal fin. It bucked a little, as if inviting me to hold tighter. I grabbed the fin with both hands.

It took off, pulling me along.

The shark carried me down into the darkness. It deposited me at the edge of the ocean proper, where the sand bank dropped off into a huge chasm. It was like standing on the rim of the Grand Canyon at midnight, not being able to see much, but knowing the void was right there.

The surface shimmered maybe fifty meters above. I knew I should have been crushed by the pressure.

Then again, I should not have been able to breathe. I wondered if there was a limit to how deep I could go, if I could sink straight to the bottom of the Pacific…

Then I saw something glimmering in the darkness below, growing bigger and brighter as it rose towards me. A woman's voice, like my mother's, called: "Percy Jackson."

As she got closer, her shape became clearer. She had flowing black hair, a dress made of green silk. Light flickered around her, and her eyes were so distractingly beautiful I hardly noticed the stallion sized sea horse she was riding.

She dismounted. The sea horse and the Mako Shark whisked off and started playing something that looked like tag.

The underwater lady smiled at me. "You have come far, Percy Jackson. Well done."

I was not quite sure what to do, so I bowed. "You are the woman who spoke to me in the Mississippi

River."

"Yes, child. I am a Nereid, a spirit of the sea. It was not easy to appear so far upriver, but the naiads, my freshwater cousins, helped sustain my life force. They honour Lord Poseidon, though they do not serve in his court."

I asked "And… you serve in Poseidon's court?"

She nodded and said. "It has been many years since a child of the Sea God has been born. We have watched you with great interest."

Suddenly I remembered faces in the waves off Montauk Beach when I was a little boy, reflections of smiling women. Like so many of the weird things in my life, I had never given it much thought before.

"If my father is so interested in me," I said, "why is not he here? Why does not he speak to me?"

A cold current rose out of the depths.

"Do not judge the Lord of the Sea too harshly," the Nereid told me. "He stands at the brink of an unwanted war. He has much to occupy his time. Besides, he is forbidden to help you directly. The gods may not show such favoritism."

I asked ''Even to their own children?''

"Especially to them. The gods can work by indirect influence only. That is why I give you a warning, and a gift." She said as she held out her hand. _**Four**_ white pearls flashed in her palm. Before saying "I know you journey to Hades's realm, few mortals have ever done this and survived: Orpheus, who had great musical skill; Hercules, who had great strength; Houdini, who could escape even the depths of Tartarus. Do you have these talents?"

I replied nervously "Um… no, ma'am, but I have a friend who can…"

The lady said "Yes, Peter. I have seen him several times in the sea. You two are more alike than you think, but you should have something else, Percy. You have gifts you have only begun to know. The oracles have foretold a great and terrible future for you, should you survive to manhood. Poseidon would not have you die before your time. Therefore take these, and when you are in need, smash a pearl at your feet."

I asked ''What will happen?''

"That," she said, "depends on the need. But remember: what belongs to the sea will always return to the sea."

Ok that made no sense to me, but I went along with it, so I asked the next question that came to mind "What about the warning?"

Her eyes flickered with green light. "Go with what your heart tells you, or you will lose all. Hades feeds on doubt and hopelessness. He will trick you if he can, make you mistrust your own judgment. Once you are in his realm, he will never willingly let you leave. Keep faith. Good luck, Percy Jackson."

She summoned her sea horse and rode towards the void below.

"Wait!" I called. "At the river, you said not to trust the gifts. What gifts?"

"Goodbye, young hero," she called back, her voice fading into the depths. "You must listen to your heart." She became a speck of glowing green, and then she was gone.

I wanted to follow her down into the darkness. I wanted to see the court of Poseidon. But I looked up at the sunset darkening on the surface. My friends were waiting and we had so little time…

I kicked upwards towards the shore.

When I reached the beach, I told Grover and Annabeth what had happened, and showed them the pearls.

Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."

I stated "'They were free.''

"No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That is an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."

I looked to Peter who seemed to be writing something down, as if sensing me looking at him he looked up and said "Sorry bud, but I agree with Annie."

Annabeth give him a glare, but Peter just smirked.

I whined "I thought you were on my side!"

Peter shrugged and said "I am on the side of balance and justice. In this case Annabeth was correct. I hope we are wrong, but… Let's say we better cross our fingers that the price is not steep."

On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea.

With some spare change from Hercules's backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. I showed the driver the Underworld address slip I had taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he had never heard of DOA Recording Studios.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV", he told me and Peter. "You a child actor or something?"

"Uh… I am a stunt double… for a lot of child actors." I lied.

Peter said with a shrug "I play a few parts in history, nothing major." I could not tell if he was lying or not.

"Oh! That would explain it!" He exclaimed.

We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop.

We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It did not appear in the phone book.

Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars.

I froze in front of an appliance store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody who looked very familiar – my stepdad, Smelly Gabe. He was talking to Barbara Walters, I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity.

She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blonde lady sitting next to him, patting his hand.

A fake tear glistened on his cheek.

He was saying, "Honest, Ms Walters, if it was not for Sugar here, my grief counselor. I would be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife… my Camaro… I – I am sorry. I have trouble talking about it."

"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."

The screen cut to a grainy shot of me, Annabeth, Grover and Percy who was still a wolf standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares.

"Who are the other children in this photo? And how and why do they have a wolf?'' Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned,

America."

"Come on!" Grover told me. He hauled me away before I could punch a hole in the appliance store window.

It got dark, and hungry looking characters started coming out on the streets to play. Now, do not get me wrong. I am a New Yorker. I do not scare easy. But L.A. had a totally different feel from New York.

Back home, everything seemed close. It did not matter how big the city was, you could get anywhere without getting lost. The street pattern and the subway made sense. There was a system to how things worked. A kid could be safe as long as he was not stupid.

L.A. was not like that. It was spread out, chaotic, hard to move around. It reminded me of Ares. It was not enough for L.A. to be big; it had to prove it was big by being loud and strange and difficult to navigate, too. I did not know how we were ever going to find the entrance to the Underworld by tomorrow, the summer solstice.

We walked past gangbangers, bums and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging, but a glare from Peter sent them packing, one of them I think actually peed his pants!

As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."

Like an idiot, I stopped.

Before I knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all – white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys.

Instinctively, I uncapped Riptide.

When the sword appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at me with a switchblade.

I made the mistake of swinging.

The kid yelped.

But he must have been one hundred percent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest.

He looked down. "What the…"

Peter face palmed at me.

I figured I had about three seconds before his shock turned to anger. "Run!" I screamed at Annabeth and Grover.

Peter reached into his trench coat and pulled out a shotgun!

He pumped it and put one in the chamber, he said in a deathly calm voice "Unless you want to see the land of the dead, I would suggest backing off!"

Annabeth, Grover and I pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going. I heard Peter give an angry growl.

Then * **BOOM*** I heard him pump the shotgun then ***BOOM***

We turned a sharp corner.

I heard someone scream in agony.

"There!" Annabeth shouted.

Only one store on the block looked open, its windows glaring with neon. The sign above the door said something like: CRSTUY'S WATREBDE ALPACE.

"Crusty's Waterbed Palace?" Grover translated.

It did not sound like a place I would ever go except in an emergency, but this definitely qualified.

"I think we lost them." Grover panted.

A voice behind us boomed, "Lost who?"

We all jumped.

Standing behind us was a guy who looked like a raptor in a leisure suit. He was at least two meters tall, with absolutely no hair.

He had grey leathery skin, thick lidded eyes, and a cold reptilian smile.

He moved towards us slowly, but I got the feeling he could move fast if he needed to.

His suit might have come from the Lotus Casino. It belonged back in the seventies, big time. The shirt was silk paisley, unbuttoned halfway down his hairless chest. The lapels on his velvet jacket were as wide as landing strips. The silver chains around his neck – I could not even count them.

"I am Crusty." he said, with a tartar yellow smile.

I resisted the urge to say, ' _Yes, you are_!'

''Sorry to barge in,'' I told him. ''We were just, um, browsing.''

"You mean hiding from those no good kids," he grumbled. "They hang around every night. I get a lot of people in here, thanks to them. Say, you want to look at a waterbed?"

I was about to say _No, thanks_ , when he put a huge paw on my shoulder and steered me deeper into the showroom, I knew I had no choice.

There was every kind of waterbed you could imagine: different kinds of wood, different patterns of sheets; queen size, king size, emperor of the universe size.

"This is my most popular model." Crusty spread his hands proudly over a bed covered with black satin sheets, with built in Lava Lamps on the headboard. The mattress vibrated, so it looked like oil flavored jelly.

"Million hand massage," Crusty told us. "Go on, try it out. Shoot, take a nap. I do not care. No business today, anyway."

"Um," I said, "I do not think…"

'

''Million hand massage!'' Grover cried, and dived in. ''Oh, you guys! This is cool.''

I heard Peter call "Guys?!" I head heavy foot steps, I knew for a fact that if Peter wanted he could have made no noise, but for some reason he choose to make his presence easily known to all.

When Peter got to a where we could see him, he had a few of cuts in his trench coat, a couple of scratches on his face.

"Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost."

''Almost what?'' I asked.

He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favour and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."

Annabeth said, ''But what –''

He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with

Teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard patterned bedspread.

When Annabeth did not want to lie down, Crusty pushed her.

"Hey!"' she protested.

Crusty snapped his fingers. _''Ergo!''_

Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress.

Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black satin bed, too, and lashed him down.

''Not cool!'' he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million hand massage. ''Not cool at all!''

The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned towards me and grinned. ''Almost, darn it.''

I tried to step away, but his hand shot out and clamped around the back of my neck. ''Whoa, kid.

Do not worry. We will find you one in a sec.''

"Let my friends go." I growled.

Peter said coldly and with a darkness in his voice "You either release them now, or I will kill you."

Crusty said ''Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first.''

"What do you mean?" I asked.

''All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them _fit.''_ He replied.

Annabeth and Grover kept struggling.

''I cannot stand imperfect measurements." Crusty muttered. _''Ergo!''_

 _A_ new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends.

"Do not worry," Crusty told me. "These are stretching jobs. Maybe eight extra centimeters on their spines. They might even live. Now why do not we find a bed you like, huh?"

Peter snarled and said "You are not 'Crusty', you are Procrustes! Procrustes the stretcher!"

Too true legally, it's Procrustes." he admitted.

I said. I remembered the story: the giant who'd tried to kill Theseus with over hospitality on his way to Athens.

"Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce "Procrustes"? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty', anybody can say that."

Peter said with an angry snarl "Your time is up!"

All of the water beds exploded, the water wrapped around Procrustes's body.

Crusty said "I will give you a water bed for free!"

Peter growled then smirked, one of the most vicious smirks I have ever seen.

All of a sudden Crusty began to scream in pain, I looked closely and I say the water closest to his skin was boiling.

Peter said evilly "I warned you…" Peter made a fist and the water seemed to begin to crush him, a few seconds later he was nothing but golden goop.

Peter turned to Grover and Annabeth helping them to their feet and looking them over, probably to make sure they were safe.

"Come on," I told my friends.

"Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death!"

"Then you are ready for the Underworld," I said. "It is only a block from here."

Peter chuckled and said "One more thing, say you were caught by Procrustes and was stretched to death. That is half true."

We all nodded and agreed to that.

We stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.

Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people.

Behind the security desk sat a tough looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

I turned to my friends. "Okay. You remember the plan."

"The plan," Grover gulped. "Yeah. I love the plan."

Annabeth said, ''What happens if the plan does not work?''

"Do not think negative.'' I replied.

"Right," she muttered. "We are entering the Land of the Dead, and I should not think negative."

I took the pearls out of my pocket, the four milky spheres the Nereid had given me in Santa Monica. They did not seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong.

Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. "I am sorry, Percy. You are right, we will make it. It will be fine."

She gave Grover a nudge.

"Oh, right!" he chimed in. "We got this far. Well find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem. "

I looked at them both, and felt really grateful. Only a few minutes before, I would almost got them stretched to death on deluxe waterbeds, and now they were trying to be brave for my sake, trying to make me feel better.

Peter placed a hand on my shoulder and said with a soft tone "Brother, relax. Things will work out in the end."

I slipped the pearls back in my pocket. "Let's whoop some Underworld butt!"

Peter chuckled and shook his head.

We walked inside the DOA lobby.

Mozart played softly on hidden speakers.

The carpet and walls were steel grey.

Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands.

The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken.

There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see them all just fine, but if I focused on any one of them in particular, they started looking… transparent. I could see right through their bodies.

The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.

He was tall and elegant, with chocolate colored skin and bleached blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

I read the name tag, and then looked at him in bewilderment. "Your name is Chiron?"

He leaned across the desk. I could not see anything in his glasses except my own reflection, but his smile was sweet and cold, like a pythons, right before it eats you.

"What a precious young lad." He had a strange accent – British, maybe, but also as if he had learned English as a second language. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"

"N - no." I stuttered

"Sir," he added smoothly.

"Sir," I said.

He pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says CH _A_ R O N. Say it with me: CARE ON."

"Charon." I repeated.

"Amazing! Now: _Mr._ Charon." Said.

"Mr. Charon," I said.

"Well done." He sat back. "I _hate_ being confused with that old horse man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"

His question caught in my stomach like a fastball. I looked at Annabeth for support.

"We want to go the Underworld." she said.

Charon's mouth twitched. "Well, that is refreshing."

"It is?" she asked.

"Straightforward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon'." He looked us over. "How did you die, then?"

I nudged Grover.

But Peter spoke up and said "We were chased into the water bed shop a few blocks away by a gang, we were stretched to death by Crusty also known as Procrustes."

Charon looked mildly impressed. "I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children… alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you will have to take a seat for a few centuries."

"Oh, but we have coins." I set four golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash I had found in Crusty's office desk.

"Well, now…" Charon moistened his lips. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I have not seen these in…"

His fingers hovered greedily over the coins.

We were so close.

Then Charon looked at me. That cold stare behind his glasses seemed to bore a hole through my chest. "Here now," he said. "You could not read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"

"No," I said. "I am dead."

Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You are not dead. I should have known. You are a godling!"

"We have to get to the Underworld," I insisted.

Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat.

Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.

"Leave while you can," Charon told us. "I will just take these and forget I saw you."

He started to go for the coins, but I snatched them back.

"No service, no tip." I tried to sound braver than I felt.

Charon growled again – a deep, blood chilling sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors.

"It is a shame, too," I sighed. "We had more to offer."

I held up the entire bag from Crusty's stash. I took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through my fingers.

Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr. ''Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh… just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?''

"A lot," I said. "I bet Hades does not pay you well enough for such hard work."

"Oh, you do not know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always

'Please do not let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free'. I have not had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"

"You deserve better," I agreed. "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay." With each word, I stacked another gold coin on the counter.

Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better. "I must say, lad, you are making some sense now. Just a little."

I stacked another few coins. "I could mention a pay raise while I am talking to Hades…''

He sighed. "The boat is almost full, anyway. I might as well add you four and be off."

He stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."

We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I could not make out. Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders.''

He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.

"Right. Now, no one gets any ideas while I am gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy listening station again, I will make sure you are here for another thousand years. Understand?"

He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.

"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing." Charon simply said.

''For how long?'' Annabeth asked.

Charon replied "Forever, or until I am feeling generous."

"Oh," she said. "That is… fair…"

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it is your turn.

You will die soon enough, where you are going."

"We will get out alive." I said.

Charon laughed a bit, that was until Peter said with a little annoyance "Charon do you think it is wise to irritate a son of Hades?"

Charon's eyes widened he took a deep breath in and whispered "Peter?..."

"I ain't dead yet." Peter said coolly.

Charon swallowed nervously, until Peter said "Charon you can relax. You were just doing your job."

He gave Peter a nervous grin.

"Oh and Charon, I will give you say 200 drachmas if you go ahead and take the rest of the spirits when you get back." Peter said. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small satchel from his trench coat and tossed it to him.

I began to wonder, just how much did we truly know about Peter? What other secrets is he keeping from us? I tried not to think like that, but it was hard not to, I mean, here is a kid my age, who is unafraid, who is a great fighter, I mean he stole a shotgun! A shotgun, and I heard him use it! This guy could easily be a killer!

All of a sudden I got a sudden dizzy feeling. We were not going down any more, but forward. The air turned misty.

Spirits around me started changing shape. Their modern clothes flickered, turning into grey hooded robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying.

I blinked hard. When I opened my eyes, Charon's creamy Italian suit had been replaced by a long black robe. His tortoiseshell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should've been were empty sockets

Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair.

He saw me looking, and said, "Well?"

''Nothing,'' I managed.

I thought he was grinning, but that was not it. The flesh of his face was becoming transparent, letting me see straight through to his skull.

The floor kept swaying.

Grover said, "I think I am getting seasick.''

When I blinked again, the elevator was not an elevator any more.

We were now standing in a wooden barge. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish and other, stranger things – plastic dolls, crushed carnations, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.

"The River Styx," Annabeth murmured. "It is so…"

''Polluted,'' Charon said. ''For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across – hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me.''

Peter looked out into the waters and muttered "I have to fix this…"

Mist curled off the filthy water. Above us, almost lost in the gloom, was a ceiling of stalactites.

Ahead, the far shore glimmered with greenish light, the colour of poison. Panic closed up my throat. What was I doing here? These people around me… they were dead.

Annabeth grabbed hold of my hand. Under normal circumstances, this would have embarrassed me, but I understood how she felt. She wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this boat.

I found myself muttering a prayer, though I was not quite sure who I was praying to. Down here, only one god mattered, and he was the one I had come to confront.

The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about fifty meters to the base of a high stone wall, which marched off in either direction as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby in the green gloom, echoing off the stones – the howl of a large animal.

''Old Three Face is hungry,'' Charon said. His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light. ''Bad luck for you, godlings.''

The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A woman holding a little girls hand. An old man and an old woman hobbling along arm in arm. A boy no older than I was, shuffling silently along in his grey robe.

Charon said, " I would wish you luck, mate, but there is not any down here. Mind you, do not forget to mention my pay raise.''

He counted our golden coins into his pouch, and then took up his pole. He warbled something that sounded like a Barry Manilow song as he ferried the empty barge back across the river.

We followed the spirits up a well worn path.

I am not sure what I was expecting – Pearly Gates, or a big black portcullis, or something. But the entrance to the Underworld looked like a cross between airport security and the Jersey Turnpike.

There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said: YOU ARE NOW

ENTERING EREBUS.

Each entrance had a pass through metal detector mounted with security cameras. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black robed ghouls like Charon.

The howling of the hungry animal was really loud now, but I could not see where it was coming from. The three headed dog, Cerberus, who was supposed to guard Hades's door, was nowhere to be seen.

The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked: ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked: EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.

"What do you figure?" I asked Annabeth.

"The fast line must go straight to Asphodel," she said. "No contest. They do not want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."

"There is a court for dead people?" I asked.

Peter rolled his eyes, he put three finger up, then two, then one, then he pointed at Annabeth-

"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson,

Shakespeare – people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward – the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Fields of Asphodel."

''And do what?'' I asked.

Grover said, ''Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever.''

''Harsh,'' I said.

''Not as harsh as that,'' Grover muttered. ''Look.''

A couple of black robed ghouls had pulled aside one spirit and were frisking him at the security desk. The face of the dead man looked vaguely familiar.

''He is that preacher who made the news, remember?'' Grover asked.

''Oh, yeah.'' I did remember now. We had seen him on TV a couple of times at the Yancy Academy dorm. He was this annoying televangelist from upstate New York who had raised millions of dollars for orphanages and then got caught spending the money on stuff for his mansion, like gold plated toilet seats, and an indoor putt putt golf course. He had died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff.

I said, "What are they doing to him?''

"Special punishment from Hades," Grover guessed. "The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fu – the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."

Peter chuckled darkly and said "You are correct Grover, he is receive a unique form of punishment, that was designed for him. The Furies will have a little fun with him."

Times like these make me very nervous around Peter; it is as if he has no mercy. I know he does, because he showed it to us along the way, but still… I gave an involuntary shudder; I do not want to get on his bad side!

The thought of the Furies made me shudder (again). I realized I was in their home territory now. Old Mrs. Dodd would be licking her lips with anticipation.

''But if he's a preacher,'' I said, ''and he believes in a different hell…''

Grover shrugged. "Who says he is seeing this place the way we are seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. They are very stubborn – er, persistent, that way."

Peter said "Stupid, stubborn, pigheaded…" By the looks of it he could have gone for like ten minutes! Grover 'accidently' bumped into Peter.

We got closer to the gates. The howling was so loud now it shook the ground at my feet, but I still could not figure out where it was coming from.

Then, about fifteen meters in front of us, the green mist shimmered. Standing just where the path split into three lanes was an enormous shadowy monster.

I had not seen it before because it was half transparent, like the dead. Until it moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only its eyes and teeth looked solid. And it was staring straight at me.

My jaw hung open. All I could think to say was, ''He is a giant Rottweiler.''

I had always imagined Cerberus as a big black mastiff. But he was obviously a purebred Rottweiler, except of course that he was twice the size of a woolly mammoth, mostly invisible, and had three heads.

The dead walked right up to him – no fear at all. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching.

"I am starting to see him better," I muttered. "Why is that?"

''I think…'' Annabeth moistened her lips. ''I am afraid it is because we are getting closer to being dead."

Peter said "Yes and no."

I shook my head, I decided just to forget he said anything.

The dog's middle head craned towards us. It sniffed the air and growled.

"It can smell the living,'' I said.

''But that is okay,'' Grover said, trembling next to me. ''Because we have a plan.''

"Right," Annabeth said. I had never heard her voice sound quite so small. ''A plan…''

We moved towards the monster.

The middle head snarled at us, and then barked so loud my eyeballs rattled.

''Can you understand it?'' I asked Grover.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I can understand it."

''What is it saying?'' I asked.

Peter muttered under his breath "Nothing good"

"I do not think humans have a four letter word that translates, exactly."

I took the big stick out of my backpack – a bed post I had broken off Crusty's Safari Deluxe floor model. I held it up, and tried to channel happy dog thoughts towards Cerberus – Alpo commercials, cute little puppies, fire hydrants. I tried to smile like I was not about to die.

''Hey, Big Fella,'' I called up. ''I bet they do not play with you much.''

'' _ **GROWWWLLLL**_!''

''Good boy.'' I said weakly.

I waved the stick. The dog's middle head followed the movement. The other two heads trained their eyes on me, completely ignoring the spirits. I had Cerberus's undivided attention. I was not sure that was a good thing…

"Fetch!" I threw the stick into the gloom, a good solid throw. I heard it go _kersploosh_ in the River Styx… _Oops…._

Cerberus glared at me, unimpressed. His eyes were baleful and cold.

So much for that plan!

Cerberus was now making a new kind of growl, deeper down in his three throats.

''Um,'' Grover said. ''Percy?''

''Yeah?'' I replied

Grover said ''I just thought you would want to know.''

''Yeah?'' I swallowed nervously.

''Cerberus? He is saying we have got ten seconds to pray to the god of our _choice._ After that… well… he _is_ hungry…"

''Wait!'' Annabeth said. She started rifling through her pack.

Where is Peter?

Uh oh, I thought.

''Five seconds,'' Grover said. ''Do we run now?''

Annabeth produced a red rubber ball the size of a grapefruit. It was labeled: WATERLAND,

DENVER, CO.

Before I could stop her, she raised the ball and marched straight up to Cerberus.

She shouted, ''See the ball? You want the ball, Cerberus? Sit!''

Cerberus looked as stunned as we were.

All three of his heads cocked sideways. Six nostrils dilated.

''Sit!'' Annabeth called again.

I was sure that any moment she would become the worlds largest Milkbone dog biscuit.

But instead, Cerberus licked his three sets of lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat, immediately crushing a dozen spirits who'd been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. The spirits made muffled hisses as they dissipated, like the air let out of tires.

I thought I heard a distant laugh…

Annabeth said, ''Good boy!''

She threw Cerberus the ball.

He caught it in his middle mouth. It was barely big enough for him to chew, and the other heads started snapping at the middle, trying to get the new toy.

''Drop it!'' Annabeth ordered.

Cerberus's heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth like a tiny piece of gum.

He made a loud, scary whimper, then dropped the ball, now slimy and bitten nearly in half, at Annabeth's feet.

''Good boy.'' She picked up the ball, ignoring the monster spit all over it.

She turned towards us. ''Go now. EZ DEATH line – it is faster.''

I tried to protest, ''But –''

''Now!'' She ordered, in the same tone she was using on the dog.

Grover and I inched forward warily.

Cerberus started to growl.

''Stay!'' Annabeth ordered the monster. ''If you want the ball, stay!''

Cerberus whimpered, but he stayed where he was.

''What about you?'' I asked Annabeth as we passed her.

''I know what I am doing, Percy," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure…''

Grover and I walked between the monster's legs.

Please, Annabeth, I prayed. Do _not_ tell him to sit again.

We made it through. Cerberus was not any less scary looking from the back.

Annabeth said, ''Good dog, who is a good boy?!''

She held up the tattered red ball, and probably came to the same conclusion I did – if she rewarded Cerberus, there would be nothing left for another trick.

She threw the ball anyway. The monster's left mouth immediately snatched it up, only to be attacked by the middle head while the right head moaned in protest.

While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined us at the metal detector.

''How did you do that?'' I asked her, amazed.

''Obedience school,'' she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes.

She began to talk ''When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman…''

''Never mind that,'' Grover said, tugging at my shirt. ''Come on!''

We were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped.

She turned to face the dog, which had done a one eighty to look at us.

Cerberus panted expectantly, the tiny red ball in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.

''Good boy,'' Annabeth said, but her voice sounded melancholy and uncertain.

The monster's heads turned sideways, as if worried about her.

''I will bring you another ball soon,'' Annabeth promised faintly. ''Would you like that?''

The monster whimpered. I did not need to speak dog to know Cerberus was still waiting for the ball.

"Good dog. I will come visit you soon. I – I promise." Annabeth turned to us. "Let's go."

I then heard Cerberus run away, is saw Peter with a rubber ball the size of a basketball. He held his fingers to his lips. He mouthed " _Be quiet and hurry up!"_

Grover and I pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. ''Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!''

Cerberus started to bark.

We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld.

A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.

Grover murmured, ''Well, Percy, what have we learned today?''

''That three headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?'' I guessed.

''No,'' Grover told me. ''We e learned that your plans really, really bite!''

I was not sure about that. I thought maybe Annabeth and I had both had the right idea. Even here in the Underworld, everybody – even monsters – needed a little attention once in a while.

I thought about that as we waited for the ghouls to pass. I pretended not to see Annabeth wipe a tear from her cheek as she listened to the mournful keening of Cerberus in the distance, longing for his new friend.

Peter said half stern and half concerned "We are wasting time; we need to get a move on, because World War Three will not wait."

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

Annabeth had an idea, she guessed that the Lotus Cash card could work, and that would be our ticket out of here.

She loaded us into the back of a Vegas taxi as if we actually had money, and told the driver, "Los Angeles, please."

The cabbie chewed his cigar and sized us up. "That is three hundred miles. For that, you gotta pay up front."

"You accept casino debit cards?''Annabeth asked.

He shrugged. "Some of them. Same as credit cards. I gotta swipe them through, first."

Annabeth handed him her green Lotus Cash card.

He looked at it skeptically.

"Swipe it," Annabeth invited.

He did.

The meter machine started rattling. The lights flashed. Finally an infinity symbol came up next to the dollar sign.

The cigar fell out of the driver's mouth. He looked back at us, his eyes wide. "Where to in Los Angeles… uh, Your Highness?"

I face palmed and muttered "Just stroke her ego…" I muttered "Why does she have to have Hubris like her mother?" I hate arrogance, but this girl seems full of it!

"The Santa Monica pier." Annabeth sat up a little straighter.

I could tell she loved the 'Your Highness' thing, and I knew she could get us killed with her pride. I said just loud enough for her and only her to hear me "Your pride is showing."

"Get us there fast, and you can keep the change." She finished, though I could tell she was blushing.

She should not have told him that, that man wanted the change! The cab's speedometer never dipped below ninety five the whole way through the Mojave Desert.

On the road, we had plenty of time to talk. Percy told Annabeth and Grover about his latest dream.

The Lotus Casino must have to have short circuited his memory. As he tried to recall what the invisible servant's voice had sounded like, though he seemed sure it somebody we knew. The servant had called the monster in the pit something other than "my lord"… some special name or title…

"The Silent One?" Annabeth suggested. "The Rich One? Both of those are nicknames for Hades."

"Maybe…" Percy said muttered..

I said quietly to myself "The Crooked One…"

He turned and looked at me and asked "What did you say?"

I looked at him and shrugged, I had a feeling that we would all find out sooner rather than later. And it was better in this case not to know. There is a saying "Too much information will make you brain choke".

He gave me a look, but I rolled my eyes and said "I was more or less talking to myself." That was true, half true.

"That throne room sounds like Hades's," Grover said. "That is the way it is usually described."

Percy shook my head. "Something is wrong. The throne room was not the main part of the dream. And that voice from the pit… I do not know. It just did not feel like a god's voice."

Annabeth's eyes widened.

"What?" Percy asked.

"Oh… nothing. I was just – No, it _has_ to be Hades. Maybe he sent this thief, this invisible person, to get the master bolt, and something went wrong –"

Percy asked ''Like what?''

"I – I do not know," she said. "But if he stole Zeus's symbol of power from Olympus, and the gods were hunting him, I mean, a lot of things could go wrong. So this thief had to hide the bolt, or he lost it somehow. Anyway, he failed to bring it to Hades. That is what the voice said in your dream, right?

I had a sick feeling that things were about to get from bad to worse in the next couple of hours.

I was not sure what was wrong with Annabeth, but she looked pale.

''But if I had already retrieved the bolt," Percy said, "why would I be travelling to the Underworld?"

"To threaten Hades," Grover suggested. "To bribe or blackmail him into getting your mom back."

Percy whistled. "You have evil thoughts for a goat."

Grover's reply went like this "Why, thank you."

I said coldly "No, no mere mortal can wield the master bolt."

Percy replied "True, besides the thing in the pit said it was waiting for _two_ items. If the master bolt is one, what is the other?'

Grover shook his head, clearly mystified.

Annabeth was looking at Percy as if she knew his next question, and was silently willing him not to ask it.

''You have an idea what might be in that pit, do not you?'' Percy asked her. ''I mean, if it is not Hades?''

"Percy… let's not talk about it. Because if it is not Hades… No. It has to be Hades!"

I sighed and said just loud enough for them to hear me "Why are you so sure? There is a domain within the Underworld that Hades has no control of. I am talking about the Pit…" The air seemed to chill and the way I said it, I made sure that sent shivers up and down my spine, there was an ominous tone in his voice that foretold danger and doom. I was talking about the Greek equivalent to _**Hell**_.

Wasteland rolled by. We passed a sign that said: CALIFORNIA STATE LINE, 12 MILES.

The closer we got, the more I sensed just how wrong we were, but we were past the point of no return.

"The answer is in the Underworld," Annabeth assured Percy. "You saw spirits of the dead, Percy.

There is only one place that could be. We're doing the right thing."

She tried to boost our morale by suggesting clever strategies for getting into the Land of the Dead. But I knew it was all pointless.

The cab sped west. Every gust of wind through Death Valley sounded like a spirit of the dead.

At sunset, the taxi dropped us at the beach in Santa Monica. It looked pretty the exactly the way L.A. beaches do in the movies, only it smelled worse. There were carnival rides lining the pier, palm trees lining the sidewalks, homeless guys sleeping in the sand dunes and surfer dudes waiting for the perfect wave, I could imagine Percy surfing, I bet he could be pretty good at it.

Grover, Annabeth and Percy walked down to the edge of the surf I stayed a few paces behind..

"What now?" Annabeth asked.

The Pacific was turning gold in the setting sun. The sun was begining to turn blood red and the moon was beginning to rise.

Percy stepped into the surf.

"Percy?" Annabeth said. "What are you doing?"

Percy just kept walking, up to his waist, and then his chest.

She called after Percy, "You know how polluted that water is? There're all kinds of toxic.-"

I cut her off and said "Annabeth, this is something Percy has to do _alone_."

That was when Percy's head went under.

Once he went under, I reached into one of my pockets and pulled out a spiral notebook, I had a few rhymes that would not leave me alone, so I began to pen it down;

" _The dead will rise, and the living will fall,  
When they wake you will hear their call!"_

Before I could continue Annabeth's breath was tickling the back of my neck. I was startled, but I hid it well, I asked in a slightly annoyed tone "Yes Annabeth?"

She looked at me for a second and asked "What are you doing?"

I shrugged and said "I _was_ working on a new song…" **(I** _ **actually**_ **am, that is all I got, my friend and I will try to finish it soon)**

Annabeth gave a nod and said "So Peter… do you have any family?"

The surf became rough and choppy. The ocean seemed to turn red, blood red. The wind began to howl.

Annabeth saw this and hugged me, she whispered in my ear "I am sorry I brought it up! Calm down, it is going to be alright!"

I gave a growl and said "My mother was murdered before my eyes by my very own stepfather, who you saw what he did to me, at least part of it. I held my sister as she died in my arms by a venomous spine from the Manticore!" I calmed down my nerves enough to let go of the weather and sea. I continued "I think I am going insane at times, I have these, flashbacks and vision, I have déjà all the time. I know I must have gone for a reborn, I must have done it multiple times…"

Annabeth wisely held her tongue and let me rant a bit. After a bit of time I was back with my mystique self.

She and Grover began to make small talk while I tore the page out and began afresh with a new page, I felt my anger and my rage. I felt my grief, I stretched my arm to pick up a rock and I saw some scars, more recent scars, self inflicted scars. I felt myself go into 'write mode' **(I actual own this for once!)** :

 _All of this  
It's inhumane  
My arms are wet  
But it's not rain  
No one cares  
Why should I  
No wonder they say  
They'll take my eye  
All I can see  
Is the depth  
It leads straight to  
My senseless death  
Broken trust and  
Broken hearts  
All your words  
They feel like darts  
The wounds heal  
But I never mend  
It's so close that I know  
I'm about to meet the end  
I won't go down  
Not like this  
Not from all these  
Cuts on my wrists  
I want it painless  
Quick and clean  
I'm going senseless  
They marked my wrists  
They took my sight  
I won't go down  
Without a fight  
They marked my wrists  
They took my smell  
I don't have the strength  
To cast the spell  
I look around  
It's all a mess  
They're making me  
Go senseless  
They say one man's garbage  
Is another man's treasure  
I don't think  
I have that pleasure  
I'm all alone  
In this room  
While I wait  
For my doom  
They're here  
They came for me  
I feel like  
I'm already free  
I spoke to soon  
I'll have to wait  
Because right now  
I'm not the bait  
They marked my wrists  
They took my taste  
I can't keep running  
I'm being chased  
They marked my wrists  
They took my hearing  
I fell asleep  
And woke in a clearing  
There were animals  
There were people  
I looked above  
To see a steeple  
I wondered if  
I was dead  
They were making wheat  
Into bread  
When I awoke  
They were there  
I realized  
I shouldn't care  
They marked my wrists  
They took my touch  
I'm in pain  
It hurts so much_

By the end of the line I felt tears dripping down my face.

When Percy reached the beach, he told us what had happened down below, and showed us the pearls.

Annabeth grimaced. "No gift comes without a price."

Percy stated "'They were free.''

"No." She shook her head. "'There is no such thing as a free lunch.' That is an ancient Greek saying that translated pretty well into American. There will be a price. You wait."

Percy looked to me, I did not see him do it, but I had a tingly sensation on the back of my head, I up and said "Sorry bud, but I agree with Annie."

Annabeth give me a glare, but I simply just smirked.

Percy whined "I thought you were on my side!"

I shrugged my shoulders and said "I am on the side of balance and justice. In this case Annabeth was correct. I hope we are wrong, but… Let's say we better cross our fingers that the price is not steep." I knew that there was going to be hell to pay soon, I just hope they don't get burned, I could not care less if I got hurt.

On that happy thought, we turned our backs on the sea.

With some spare change from Hercules's backpack, we took the bus into West Hollywood. Percy showed the driver the Underworld address slip he had taken from Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium, but he had never heard of DOA Recording Studios.

"You remind me of somebody I saw on TV", he told Percy and me. "You a child actor or something?"

"Uh… I am a stunt double… for a lot of child actors." Percy lied.

I said with a shrug "I play a few parts in history, nothing major." That _was_ true, if my dream slash vision are true.

"Oh! That would explain it!" He exclaimed.

We thanked him and got off quickly at the next stop.

We wandered for miles on foot, looking for DOA. Nobody seemed to know where it was. It did not appear in the phone book.

Twice, we ducked into alleys to avoid cop cars.

Percy froze in front of an appliance store window because a television was playing an interview with somebody who looked very familiar – his stepdad, Smelly Gabe. He was talking to Barbara Walters, I mean, as if he were some kind of huge celebrity.

She was interviewing him in our apartment, in the middle of a poker game, and there was a young blonde lady sitting next to him, patting his hand.

A fake tear glistened on his cheek.

He was saying, "Honest, Ms Walters, if it was not for Sugar here, my grief counselor. I would be a wreck. My stepson took everything I cared about. My wife… my Camaro… I – I am sorry. I have trouble talking about it."

"There you have it, America." Barbara Walters turned to the camera. "A man torn apart. An adolescent boy with serious issues. Let me show you, again, the last known photo of this troubled young fugitive, taken a week ago in Denver."

The screen cut to a grainy shot of Percy, Annabeth, Grover and me who was still a wolf standing outside the Colorado diner, talking to Ares.

"Who are the other children in this photo? And how and why do they have a wolf?'' Barbara Walters asked dramatically. "Who is the man with them? Is Percy Jackson a delinquent, a terrorist, or perhaps the brainwashed victim of a frightening new cult? When we come back, we chat with a leading child psychologist. Stay tuned,

America."

"Come on!" Grover told Percy. He hauled him away before he could punch a hole in the appliance store window.

It got dark, and hungry looking characters started coming out on the streets to play.

We walked past gangbangers, bums and street hawkers, who looked at us like they were trying to figure if we were worth the trouble of mugging, but a glare from me sent them packing, one of them in fact actually peed his pants!

As we hurried passed the entrance of an alley, a voice from the darkness said, "Hey, you."

Like an idiot, Percy stopped.

Before we knew it, we were surrounded. A gang of kids had circled us. Six of them in all – white kids with expensive clothes and mean faces. Like the kids at Yancy Academy: rich brats playing at being bad boys.

Instinctively, Percy uncapped Riptide.

I face palmed knowing it was not going to work.

When the sword appeared out of nowhere, the kids backed off, but their leader was either really stupid or really brave, because he kept coming at Percy with a switchblade.

Percy made the mistake of swinging.

The kid yelped.

But he must have been one hundred percent mortal, because the blade passed harmlessly right through his chest.

He looked down. "What the…"

"Run!" I screamed at Annabeth and Grover.

I reached into my trench coat and pulled out a shotgun!

I pumped it and loaded put one into the chamber, as I said in a deathly calm voice "Unless you want to see the land of the dead, I would suggest backing off!"

Annabeth, Grover and Percy pushed two kids out of the way and raced down the street, not knowing where we were going.

They turned to give chase but I gave a growl that froze them in place, one of the fools tried to come out me with a crow bar, then * **BOOM *** I shot him in the knee with buckshot, he fell to the ground in pain, I pumped it and shot another round, this time at the one with the knife, I blew off his hand, I pumped it again and said "How does it feel to be the ones shot up?" * **BOOM*** I turned around and shot one of them in the groin, I winced knowing it hurt, there was a five second delay before screeched in agony.

I faintly heard Annabeth say "There!"

A few minutes later I called "Guys" while making almost as much noise as I can, I got a few scrapes, but nothing major.

.

"Hmm," Crusty said, stroking his leathery chin. "Almost, almost."

''Almost what?'' Percy asked.

He looked at Annabeth. "Do me a favour and try this one over here, honey. Might fit."

Annabeth said, ''But what –''

He patted her reassuringly on the shoulder and led her over to the Safari Deluxe model with

Teakwood lions carved into the frame and a leopard patterned bedspread.

When Annabeth did not want to lie down, Crusty pushed her.

"Hey!"' she protested.

Crusty snapped his fingers. _''Ergo!''_

Ropes sprang from the sides of the bed, lashing around Annabeth, holding her to the mattress.

Grover tried to get up, but ropes sprang from his black satin bed, too, and lashed him down.

''Not cool!'' he yelled, his voice vibrating from the million hand massage. ''Not cool at all!''

The giant looked at Annabeth, then turned towards me and grinned. ''Almost, darn it.''

Percy tried to step away, but Crusty's hand shot out and clamped around the back of his neck. ''Whoa, kid.

Do not worry. We will find you one in a sec.''

"Let my friends go." Percy growled.

I said coldly with venom and with a darkness in my voice "You either release them now, or I will kill you."

Crusty said ''Oh, sure I will. But I got to make them fit, first.''

"What do you mean?" Percy asked.

''All the beds are exactly six feet, see? Your friends are too short. Got to make them _fit.''_ He replied.

Annabeth and Grover kept struggling.

''I cannot stand imperfect measurements." Crusty muttered. _''Ergo!''_

 _A_ new set of ropes leaped out from the top and bottom of the beds, wrapping around Grover and Annabeth's ankles, then around their armpits. The ropes started tightening, pulling my friends from both ends.

"Do not worry," Crusty told Percy. "These are stretching jobs. Maybe eight extra centimeters on their spines. They might even live. Now why do not we find a bed you like, huh?"

I snarled and said "You are not 'Crusty', you are Procrustes! Procrustes the stretcher!"

"Too true legally, it's Procrustes." he admitted.

I remembered the story: the giant who had tried to kill Theseus with over hospitality on his way to Athens.

"Yeah," the salesman said. "But who can pronounce "Procrustes"? Bad for business. Now 'Crusty', anybody can say that."

I said with an angry snarl "Your time is up!"

I will all of the water beds to come to me, it almost freed Annabeth and Grover, but right now I was focused on revenge. I willed all of the water wrapped around Procrustes's body.

Crusty said "I will give you a water bed for free!"

I growled then smirked, a vicious smirks, I was going to make this monster suffer, I began to boil the water against his skin, while at the same time freeze the blood within his body. All of a sudden Crusty began to scream in pain.

I said angrily "I warned you…" I made a fist and the water hardened and it begin to crush him, a few seconds later he was nothing but golden goop.

I turned to Grover and Annabeth and I helped them to their feet and I looked them over, to make sure none of them had injuries or anything, once I was satisfied I gave a small nod.

Percy told us to "Come on!"

"Give us a minute," Grover complained. "We were almost stretched to death!"

"Then you are ready for the Underworld," Percy said. "It is only a block from here."

I chuckled at Percy's statement as I thought of a lie, once I thought of one up I said "One more thing, say you were caught by Procrustes and was stretched to death. That is half true."

We all nodded and agreed to that.

We stood in the shadows of Valencia Boulevard, looking up at gold letters etched in black marble: DOA RECORDING STUDIOS.

Underneath, stenciled on the glass doors: NO SOLICITORS. NO LOITERING. NO LIVING.

It was almost midnight, but the lobby was brightly lit and full of people.

Behind the security desk sat a tough looking guard with sunglasses and an earpiece.

Percy turned to Grover and Annabeth friends. "Okay. You remember the plan."

"The plan," Grover gulped. "Yeah. I love the plan."

Annabeth said, ''What happens if the plan does not work?''

"Do not think negative.'' Percy replied.

"Right," she muttered. "We are entering the Land of the Dead, and I should not think negative."

Percy took the pearls out of my pocket, the four milky spheres the Nereid had given me in Santa Monica. They did not seem like much of a backup in case something went wrong.

Annabeth put her hand on my shoulder. "I am sorry, Percy. You are right, we will make it. It will be fine."

She gave Grover a nudge.

"Oh, right!" he chimed in. "We got this far. Well find the master bolt and save your mom. No problem. "

Percy looked at them both, and he looked really grateful. Only a few minutes before, he had almost got them stretched to death on deluxe waterbeds, and now they were trying to be brave for his sake, trying to make him feel better.

I placed a hand on his shoulder and said with a soft tone "Brother, relax. Things will work out in the end." I knew for the most part they usually did.

Percy slipped the pearls back in his pocket. "Let's whoop some Underworld butt!"

I chuckled and shook my head at his child like antics, it was then that I realized they were all children, except for Grover who was in his mid to late twenties. I do not remember having much of a childhood, a few years with my sister was about the _only_ good times I had.

We walked inside the DOA lobby.

Mozart played softly on hidden speakers.

The carpet and walls were steel grey.

Pencil cactuses grew in the corners like skeleton hands.

The furniture was black leather, and every seat was taken.

There were people sitting on couches, people standing up, people staring out the windows or waiting for the elevator. Nobody moved, or talked, or did much of anything I knew there people were all ghosts, and no one save a child of the Underworld or darkness can touch them and them us. I knew I could.

The security guard's desk was a raised podium, so we had to look up at him.

He was tall and elegant, with chocolate colored skin and bleached blond hair shaved military style. He wore tortoiseshell shades and a silk Italian suit that matched his hair. A black rose was pinned to his lapel under a silver name tag.

Percy read the name tag, and then looked at him in bewilderment. "Your name is Chiron?"

He leaned across the desk. I could see his smile was sweet and cold, like a pythons, right before it eats you.

"What a precious young lad." He had a strange accent. "Tell me, mate, do I look like a centaur?"

"N - no." Percy stuttered

"Sir," he added smoothly.

"Sir," Percy said.

He pinched the name tag and ran his finger under the letters. "Can you read this, mate? It says CH _A_ R O N. Say it with me: CARE ON."

"Charon." Percy repeated.

"Amazing! Now: _Mr._ Charon." Said.

"Mr. Charon," Percy said.

"Well done." He sat back. "I _hate_ being confused with that old horse man. And now, how may I help you little dead ones?"

His question caught in my stomach like a fastball. Percy looked at Annabeth for support.

"We want to go the Underworld." she said.

Charon's mouth twitched. "Well, that is refreshing."

"It is?" she asked.

"Straightforward and honest. No screaming. No 'There must be a mistake, Mr. Charon'." He looked us over. "How did you die, then?"

Percy nudged Grover.

But that was when I chose to speak up and say "We were chased into the water bed shop a few blocks away by a gang, we were stretched to death by Crusty also known as Procrustes." I knew Grover could not lie to save his life so I had to, not that I can lie. I wonder what excuse he would have; we drowned in a bath tub?!

Charon looked mildly impressed. "I don't suppose you have coins for passage. Normally, with adults, you see, I could charge your American Express, or add the ferry price to your last cable bill. But with children… alas, you never die prepared. Suppose you will have to take a seat for a few centuries."

"Oh, but we have coins." Percy set four golden drachmas on the counter, part of the stash he had found in Crusty's office desk.

"Well, now…" Charon moistened his lips. "Real drachmas. Real golden drachmas. I have not seen these in…"

His fingers hovered greedily over the coins.

We were so close.

Then Charon looked at Percy. That cold stare behind his glasses seemed to bore a hole through in his chest. "Here now," he said. "You could not read my name correctly. Are you dyslexic, lad?"

"No," Percy replied. "I am dead."

Charon leaned forward and took a sniff. "You are not dead. I should have known. You are a godling!"

"We have to get to the Underworld," Percy insisted.

Charon made a growling sound deep in his throat.

Immediately, all the people in the waiting room got up and started pacing, agitated, lighting cigarettes, running hands through their hair, or checking their wristwatches.

"Leave while you can," Charon told us. "I will just take these and forget I saw you."

He started to go for the coins, but Percy snatched them back.

"No service, no tip." Percy tried to sound brave.

Charon growled again – a deep, sound. The spirits of the dead started pounding on the elevator doors. I barely batted an eye.

"It is a shame, too," Percy sighed. "We had more to offer."

Percy held up the entire bag from Crusty's stash. He took out a fistful of drachmas and let the coins spill through his fingers.

Charon's growl changed into something more like a lion's purr. ''Do you think I can be bought, godling? Eh… just out of curiosity, how much have you got there?''

"A lot," Percy said. "I bet Hades does not pay you well enough for such hard work."

"Oh, you do not know the half of it. How would you like to babysit these spirits all day? Always

'Please do not let me be dead' or 'Please let me across for free'. I have not had a pay raise in three thousand years. Do you imagine suits like this come cheap?"

"You deserve better," Percy agreed. "A little appreciation. Respect. Good pay." With each word, he stacked another gold coin on the counter.

Charon glanced down at his silk Italian jacket, as if imagining himself in something even better. "I must say, lad, you are making some sense now. Just a little."

Percy stacked another few coins. "I could mention a pay raise while I am talking to Hades…''

He sighed. "The boat is almost full, anyway. I might as well add you four and be off."

Charon stood, scooped up our money, and said, "Come along."

We pushed through the crowd of waiting spirits, who started grabbing at our clothes like the wind, their voices whispering things I would rather not say. Charon shoved them out of the way, grumbling, "Freeloaders.''

He escorted us into the elevator, which was already crowded with souls of the dead, each one holding a green boarding pass. Charon grabbed two spirits who were trying to get on with us and pushed them back into the lobby.

"Right. Now, no one gets any ideas while I am gone," he announced to the waiting room. "And if anyone moves the dial off my easy listening station again, I will make sure you are here for another thousand years. Understand?"

He shut the doors. He put a key card into a slot in the elevator panel and we started to descend.

"What happens to the spirits waiting in the lobby?" Annabeth asked.

"Nothing." Charon simply said.

''For how long?'' Annabeth asked.

Charon replied "Forever, or until I am feeling generous."

"Oh," she said. "That is… fair…"

Charon raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said death was fair, young miss? Wait until it is your turn. You will die soon enough, where you are going."

"We will get out alive." Percy said confidently.

Charon laughed a bit, that was until I said with a little annoyance "Charon do you think it is wise to irritate a son of Hades?"

Charon's eyes widened he took a deep breath in and whispered "Peter?..."

"I ain't dead yet." I said coolly crossing my arms.

Charon swallowed nervously, until I said to him "Charon you can relax. You were just doing your job."

He gave me a nervous grin.

"Oh and Charon, I will give you say 200 drachmas if you go ahead and take the rest of the spirits when you get back." I said told him while I reached into my pocket and pulled out a small satchel from my trench coat and tossed it to him.

Spirits around me started changing shape. Their modern clothes flickered, turning into grey hooded robes. The floor of the elevator began swaying.

Charon's creamy Italian suit had been replaced by a long black robe. His tortoiseshell glasses were gone. Where his eyes should have been were empty sockets

Charon's were totally dark, full of night and death and despair.

He saw Percy looking, and said, "Well?"

''Nothing,'' Percy managed.

The floor kept swaying. Grover said, "I think I am getting seasick.''

We were standing in a wooden barge. Charon was poling us across a dark, oily river, swirling with bones, dead fish and other, stranger things – plastic dolls, crushed carnations, soggy diplomas with gilt edges.

"The River Styx," Annabeth murmured. "It is so…"

''Polluted,'' Charon said. ''For thousands of years, you humans have been throwing in everything as you come across – hopes, dreams, wishes that never came true. Irresponsible waste management, if you ask me.''

I looked out into the waters and muttered "I have to fix this…" I remember being here before, and seeing this before, but I could not place when, where, why or how.

Mist curled off the filthy water. Above us, almost lost in the gloom, was a ceiling of stalactites.

Ahead, the far shore glimmered with greenish light, the colour of poison

Annabeth grabbed hold of Percy's hand. Under normal circumstances, this would have embarrassed them I am sue, but I understood how they felt. They wanted reassurance that somebody else was alive on this boat.

The shoreline of the Underworld came into view. Craggy rocks and black volcanic sand stretched inland about fifty meters to the base of a high stone wall, which marched off in either direction as far as we could see. A sound came from somewhere nearby in the green gloom, echoing off the stones – the howl of a large animal.

''Old Three Face is hungry,'' Charon said. His smile turned skeletal in the greenish light. ''Bad luck for you, godlings.''

The bottom of our boat slid onto the black sand. The dead began to disembark. A woman holding a little girls hand. An old man and an old woman hobbling along arm in arm. A boy no older than Percy was, shuffling silently along in his grey robe.

Charon said, "I would wish you luck, mate, but there is not any down here. Mind you, do not forget to mention my pay raise.''

He counted our golden coins into his pouch, and then took up his pole. He warbled something that sounded like a Barry Manilow song as he ferried the empty barge back across the river.

We followed the spirits up a well worn path.

We found the entrance of the Underworld There were three separate entrances under one huge black archway that said: YOU ARE NOW ENTERING EREBUS.

Each entrance had a pass through metal detector mounted with security cameras. Beyond this were tollbooths manned by black robed ghouls like Charon.

The howling of the hungry animal was really loud now. The three headed dog, Cerberus, who was supposed to guard Hades's door, was nowhere to be seen.

The dead queued up in the three lines, two marked: ATTENDANT ON DUTY, and one marked: EZ DEATH. The EZ DEATH line was moving right along. The other two were crawling.

"What do you figure?" Percy asked Annabeth.

"The fast line must go straight to Asphodel," she said. "No contest. They do not want to risk judgment from the court, because it might go against them."

"There is a court for dead people?" Percy asked.

I rolled my eyes, I put three finger up, then two, then one, then I pointed at Annabeth knowing she was going to answer-

"Yeah. Three judges. They switch around who sits on the bench. King Minos, Thomas Jefferson,

Shakespeare – people like that. Sometimes they look at a life and decide that person needs a special reward – the Fields of Elysium. Sometimes they decide on punishment. But most people, well, they just lived. Nothing special, good or bad. So they go to the Fields of Asphodel."

''And do what?'' Percy asked.

Grover said, ''Imagine standing in a wheat field in Kansas. Forever.''

''Harsh,'' Percy said.

''Not as harsh as that,'' Grover muttered. ''Look.''

A couple of black robed ghouls had pulled aside one spirit and were frisking him at the security desk. The face of the dead man looked vaguely familiar.

''He is that preacher who made the news, remember?'' Grover asked.

''Oh, yeah.'' I did remember now. We had seen him on TV a couple of times at the Yancy Academy dorm. He was this annoying televangelist from upstate New York who had raised millions of dollars for orphanages and then got caught spending the money on stuff for his mansion, like gold plated toilet seats, and an indoor putt putt golf course. He had died in a police chase when his "Lamborghini for the Lord" went off a cliff.

Percy said, "What are they doing to him?''

"Special punishment from Hades," Grover guessed. "The really bad people get his personal attention as soon as they arrive. The Fu – the Kindly Ones will set up an eternal torture for him."

I chuckled darkly and said "You are correct Grover, he is receive a unique form of punishment, that was designed for him. The Furies will have a little fun with him."

''But if he's a preacher,'' Percy pointed out, ''and he believes in a different hell…''

Grover shrugged. "Who says he is seeing this place the way we are seeing it? Humans see what they want to see. They are very stubborn – er, persistent, that way."

I said with a low growl "Stupid, stubborn, pigheaded…" I could have gone for a long while, until Grover 'accidently' bumped into me, I knew it was time to shut up.

We got closer to the gates. The howling was so loud now it shook the ground at my feet, I could feel where it was coming from.

Then, about fifteen meters in front of us, the green mist shimmered. Standing just where the path split into three lanes was an enormous shadowy monster. It moved, it blended with whatever was behind it. Only its eyes and teeth looked solid. And it was staring straight at Percy.

Percy's jaw hung open. All he could think to say was, ''He is a giant Rottweiler.''

I rolled my eyes at his randomness.

The dead walked right up to him – no fear at all. The ATTENDANT ON DUTY lines parted on either side of him. The EZ DEATH spirits walked right between his front paws and under his belly, which they could do without even crouching.

"I am starting to see him better," Percy muttered. "Why is that?"

''I think…'' Annabeth moistened her lips. ''I am afraid it is because we are getting closer to being dead."

I said "Yes and no." That meant two things 1. They are getting use to the Underworld, but that does not mean being dead. Or 2. They are all closer to being dead than they realize. I am going with the first one for now.

Percy shook his head.

The dog's middle head craned towards us. It sniffed the air and growled.

"It can smell the living,'' Percy said.

''But that is okay,'' Grover said, trembling next to me. ''Because we have a plan.''

"Right," Annabeth said. I had never heard her voice sound quite so small. ''A plan…''

We moved towards the monster.

The middle head snarled at us, and then barked so loud my eyeballs rattled.

''Can you understand it?'' Percy asked Grover.

I gave a nod, I knew Percy was not talking to me but I still responded.

"Oh yeah," he said. "I can understand it."

''What is it saying?'' Percy asked.

I muttered under my breath "Nothing good"

Grover said "I do not think humans have a four letter word that translates, exactly."

Percy took the big stick out of his backpack – a bed post that had broken off Crusty's Safari Deluxe floor model. He held it up.

''Hey, Big Fella,'' Percy called up. ''I bet they do not play with you much.''

'' _ **GROWWWLLLL**_!''

''Good boy.'' Percy said weakly.

Percy waved the stick. The dog's middle head followed the movement. The other two heads trained their eyes on him, completely ignoring the spirits. Percy had Cerberus's undivided attention. I was not sure that was a good thing…

"Fetch!" Percy threw the stick into the gloom, a good solid throw.

I heard it go _kersploosh_ in the River Styx… _Oops…. I_ face palmed, I shadow travled away to get him a toy.

But instead, Cerberus licked his three sets of lips, shifted on his haunches, and sat, immediately crushing a dozen spirits who'd been passing underneath him in the EZ DEATH line. The spirits made muffled hisses as they dissipated, like the air let out of tires.

From a distant I laughed at the sight

Annabeth said, ''Good boy!''

She threw Cerberus the ball.

He caught it in his middle mouth. It was barely big enough for him to chew, and the other heads started snapping at the middle, trying to get the new toy.

''Drop it!'' Annabeth ordered.

Cerberus's heads stopped fighting and looked at her. The ball was wedged between two of his teeth like a tiny piece of gum.

He made a loud, scary whimper, and then dropped the ball, now slimy and bitten nearly in half, at Annabeth's feet.

''Good boy.'' She picked up the ball, ignoring the monster spit all over it.

She turned towards Percy and Grover. ''Go now. EZ DEATH line – it is faster.''

Percy tried to protest, ''But –''

''Now!'' She ordered, in the same tone she was using on the dog.

Grover and Percy inched forward warily.

Cerberus started to growl.

''Stay!'' Annabeth ordered the monster. ''If you want the ball, stay!''

Cerberus whimpered, but he stayed where he was.

''What about you?'' Percy asked Annabeth as we passed her.

''I know what I am doing, Percy," she muttered. "At least, I'm pretty sure…''

Grover and Percy walked between the monster's legs.

Annabeth said, ''Good dog, who is a good boy?!''

She held up the tattered red ball, and probably came to the same conclusion I did – if she rewarded Cerberus, there would be nothing left for another trick.

She threw the ball anyway. The monster's left mouth immediately snatched it up, only to be attacked by the middle head while the right head moaned in protest.

While the monster was distracted, Annabeth walked briskly under its belly and joined them at the metal detector.

''How did you do that?'' Percy asked her, amazed.

''Obedience school,'' she said breathlessly, and I was surprised to see there were tears in her eyes.

She began to talk ''When I was little, at my dad's house, we had a Doberman…''

''Never mind that,'' Grover said, tugging at my shirt. ''Come on!''

We were about to bolt through the EZ DEATH line when Cerberus moaned pitifully from all three mouths. Annabeth stopped.

She turned to face the dog, which had done a one eighty to look at us.

Cerberus panted expectantly, the tiny red ball in pieces in a puddle of drool at its feet.

''Good boy,'' Annabeth said, but her voice sounded melancholy and uncertain.

The monster's heads turned sideways, as if worried about her.

''I will bring you another ball soon,'' Annabeth promised faintly. ''Would you like that?''

"Good dog. I will come visit you soon. I – I promise." Annabeth turned to us. "Let's go."

I had rubber ball the size of a basketball I threw it and the Monster Dog ran after it.. I saw Grover and Percy look back and up at me held I fingers to my lips as I mouthed " _Be quiet and hurry up!"_

Grover and Percy pushed through the metal detector, which immediately screamed and set off flashing red lights. ''Unauthorized possessions! Magic detected!''

Cerberus started to bark.

We burst through the EZ DEATH gate, which started even more alarms blaring, and raced into the Underworld.

A few minutes later, we were hiding, out of breath, in the rotten trunk of an immense black tree as security ghouls scuttled past, yelling for backup from the Furies.

Grover murmured, ''Well, Percy, what have we learned today?''

''That three headed dogs prefer red rubber balls over sticks?'' Percy guessed.

''No,'' Grover told me. ''We e learned that your plans really, really bite!''

I saw Annabeth wipe a tear from her cheek as she listened to the mournful keening of Cerberus in the distance, longing for his new friend.

I said half stern and half concerned "We are wasting time; we need to get a move on, because World War Three will not wait." But that was only a mask, I was afraid, for them.

I have always worn a mask; I have always masqueraded and put up a front, a façade. Whether it was a spandex mask, or whether it was a plastic smile on my face, that was only on the surface. I could not bear the thought of losing my friends, that is my _one_ fatal flaws; Loyalty

I have always been a wolf, whether it is a "lone wolf" or whether I have a "pack" a team.

I realized that I was actually less humane than most monsters….

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Here is another chapter, I hope this was good!**

 **Please drop a review and or PM me, I would love to hear your ideas!**

 **Death Fury signing off!**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left a review and who has support me and my story.**

 **Thank you to "** **Nobel Six** **" for your review: glad you thought it was excellent work. The wait is over!**

 **Thank you "** **Tabris the 17th angle** **" for your review as well: Glad you thought it was good, I think you might be right. I should probably go back and fix it…**

 **Thank you "Man285" for your review as well; Glad you liked it!**

 **The story continues like a river to the sea…**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

Imagine the largest concert crowd you've ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.

Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd. Something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.

If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like. The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees – Grover told me they were poplars – grew in clumps here and there.

The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might've been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, which glowed faint grey and looked wickedly pointed. I tried not to imagine they'd fall on us at any moment, but dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass. I guess the dead did not have to worry about little hazards like being speared by stalactites the size of booster rockets.

Peter, Annabeth, Grover and I tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I could not help looking for familiar faces among the spirits of Asphodel, but the dead are hard to look at. Their faces shimmer. They all look slightly angry or confused. They will come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you cannot understand them, they frown and move away.

The dead are not scary. They are just sad.

We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates towards a black tented pavilion with a banner that read:

JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION

Welcome, Newly Deceased!

Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.

To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path towards the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas.

Even from far away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too – things I do not want to describe.

The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down towards a small valley surrounded by walls, a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and mediaeval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.

Elysium.

In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved Elysium. Immediately I knew that is where I wanted to go when I died.

"That is what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That is the place for heroes."

But I thought of how few people there were in Elysium, how tiny it was compared to Asphodel or even Punishment. So few people did good in their lives. It was depressing.

Peter said "I know what you are think Perse, ' _why so few'._ People tend not to care what the do when they are alive they do not hurt others, yet they do not help either. They do bad, but also a little good. Very few are quote "Worthy Enough" to go to Elysium. Even fewer still who goes to "The Isles of the Blest"."

We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into Asphodel. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.

After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat like creatures: the Furies. I got the feeling they were waiting for us.

"I suppose it _is_ too late to turn back…" Grover said wistfully.

"We will be okay." I tried to sound confident.

"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance…"

Peter snorted and said "Good like trying to break in, they have several heroes of old guarding the gate, place a few magical barriers. Trust me, I know. Besides the bolt would be in a place where no one wants to go, or a place where they least expect it."

"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.

Grover yelped. His trainer's sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.

"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."

"But I did not do-" He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.

" _Maia!"_ he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. _"Maia,_ already! 911! Help!"

I got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.

We ran after him.

Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"

It was a smart idea, but I guess it is not so easy when your shoes are pulling you along feet first at full speed. Grover tried to sit up, but he could not get close to the laces.

We kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he zipped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.

I was sure Grover was going to barrel straight through the gates of Hades's palace, but his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction.

The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. Annabeth and I had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we'd entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.

"Grover!"I yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"

"What?" he yelled back.

He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.

The tunnel got darker and colder.

The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here. It made me think of things I should not even know about – blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.

Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.

Grover was sliding straight towards the edge.

"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.

''But that is-" I began.

''I know!'' she shouted. ''The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we do not catch him!'' She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got me moving again.

He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him towards the pit, and it did not look like we could possibly get to him in time.

What saved him were his hooves.

The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.

He was three meters from the edge of the pit when Peter did something _unexpected_ , VERY _unexpected_ that caught Grover. Peter shot some sort of white, sticky rope from his watch on his wrist that glued itself to Grover's chest. Peter leaned back and began to haul him back up the slope.

Annabeth and I rushed to Grover and began to pull him up the hill, while Peter kept pulling that rope, soon the other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin.

Most of us collapsed, exhausted (except for Peter, of course, who began, to look sick) on the obsidian gravel. My limbs felt like lead. Even my backpack seemed heavier, as if somebody had filled it with rocks.

Grover was scratched up pretty bad. His hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit pupilled, goat style, the way they did whenever he was terrified.

"I do not know how…'' he panted. ''I did not…''

''Wait,'' I said. ''Listen.''

I heard something – a deep whisper in the darkness.

Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, this place –"

''Shhh.'' I stood.

The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.

Grover sat up. ''What – what is that noise?''

Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. ''Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus.''

I uncapped Anaklusmos.

The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.

I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek. As if…

"Magic," I said.

''We have to get out of here!'' Annabeth said.

Peter said sarcastically "Thank you Captain Obvious!"

Annabeth said "There is no need for sarcasm!"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "And there is no need for you to be so grouchy."

Annabeth said with a growl "We are at the very edge of the Pit! And you are making jokes?!"

Peter shrugged and said "I guess I could work on my timing, but hey, at least we did not fall in…" he muttered something that sounded like " _…This time…."_

Together, we dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. My legs would not move fast enough. My backpack weighed me down. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we broke into a run.

And not a moment too soon.

A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I lost ground, my feet slipping in the gravel. If we had been any closer to the edge, we would have been sucked in.

We kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel.

Someone or something was not happy we had gotten away.

''What _was_ that?'' Grover panted, when we had collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades's pets?"

Annabeth and I looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she had got during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it. That was enough to terrify me.

I capped my sword, put the pen back in my pocket. "Let's keep going." I looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"

He swallowed. ''Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway.''

He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and I were.

Peter stood there glaring at the entrance of the Pit, I then remembered the rope trick, thing.

I asked "Peter, what did you do back there?"

Peter frowned and said "I thought I used the Mist to cover that up…" He gave a sigh and said "I wanted to work on something that would be nonlethal, and that I could bring anywhere without suspicion. So I and Charlie made a pair of enchanted watches. I modified the watches to shoot a few chemicals compounds that would create a polymer-"

I cut him off and asked "In English!"

Annabeth said "So you are making-"

Peter sighed and said "The rope you see is like five times stronger than steel…"

I saw Annabeth's mind gear begin to spin she began to say "Five times stronger than steel…." Then she turned pale and whispered "spider…. Spider web…."

Peter sighed and said "And that was why I tried to keep it hidden, I knew it might scare you Ann, especially after seeing you at the Tunnel of Love."

I said with a grin "Just like Spider Man?!"

Peter flinched when I said that before saying "Yes, similarly to Spider Man."

All I could say was one word "Awesome!"

Then my ADHD kicked in as I glanced back at the Pit. Whatever was in that pit was nobody's pet. It was unspeakably old and powerful. Even Echidna had not given me that feeling. I was almost relieved to turn my back on that tunnel and head towards the palace of Hades.

Almost.

The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two storey tall bronze gates stood wide open.

Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times – an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls – but all of them looked as if they'd been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago.

I wondered if I was looking at prophecies that had come true. Inside the courtyard was the strangest garden I'd ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues, petrified children, satyrs and centaurs, all smiling grotesquely.

In the centre of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."

I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I had a sudden desire to eat them, but then I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave. I pulled Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.

Peter looked around the place as if trying to see if it had changed. He shook his head with a chuckle. I thought _"I think I have an oddball for a brother, a creepy, scary brother."_

We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above. I guess they never had to worry about rain down here.

Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armour, some

British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M 16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, towards the big set of doors at the opposite end.

Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.

''You know,'' Grover mumbled, ''I bet Hades does not have trouble with door to door salesmen.''

My backpack weighed a ton now. I could not figure out why. I wanted to open it, check to see if I had some how picked up a stray bowling ball, but this was not the time.

''Well, guys,'' I said. ''I suppose we should… knock?''

A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

''I guess that means _'entrez,',"_ Annabeth said.

The room inside looked just like in my dream, except this time the throne of Hades was occupied.

He was the third god I had met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.

He was at least three meters tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder length and jet black. He was not bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful and dangerous as a panther.

I immediately felt like he should be giving the orders. He knew more than I did. He should be my master. Then I told myself to snap out of it.

Hades's aura was affecting me, just as Hercules's had. The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I had seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.

"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

Numbness crept into my joints, tempting me to lie down and just take a little nap at Hades's feet. Curl up here and sleep forever.

I fought the feeling and stepped forward. I knew what I had to say. ''Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests.''

I literally heard Peter face palm and I wonder 'how _does he_ **NOT** _have a bruise yet?_ '

Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, trying to get out. The ADHD part of me wondered, off task, whether the rest of his clothes were made the same way. What horrible things would you have to do in your life to get woven into Hades's underwear?

''Only two requests?'' Hades said. ''Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet.''

I swallowed. This was going about as well as I had feared.

I glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold. I wished Queen Persephone were here. I recalled something in the myths about how she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the earth, created the seasons.

Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.

''Lord Hades,'' I said. ''Look, sir, there cannot be a war among the gods. It would be… bad.''

'Really bad,'' Grover added helpfully.

I heard Peter groan probably in embarrassment.

"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," I said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."

Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretence, after what you have

done?"

I glanced back at my friends. They looked as confused as I was.

"Um… Uncle," I said. "You keep saying 'after what I have done'. What exactly have I done?"

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.

Hades bellowed, ''Do you think I _want_ war, godling?''

I wanted to say, _Well, these guys do not look like peace activists._ But I thought that might be a dangerous answer.

''You are the Lord of the Dead,'' I said carefully. ''A war would expand your kingdom, right?''

''A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the

sprawl of Asphodel?'' Hades practically yelled.

I replied ''Well…''

''Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I have had to open?''

I opened my mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.

''More security ghouls,'' he moaned. ''Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!''

''Charon wants a pay raise,'' I blurted, just remembering the fact. As soon as I said it, I wished I could sew up my mouth.

''And do not get me started on Charon!' Hades yelled. ''He has been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I have got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. _No_ , godling. I need no help getting subjects! _I_ did not ask for this war!"

''But you took Zeus's master bolt.'' I muttered not feeling very confident right now.

''Lies!'' More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. ''Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan.''

''His plan?'' I asked.

'' _You_ were the thief on the winter solstice,'' he said. ''Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt _and_ my helmet. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!''

''But…'' Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. 'Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?''

''Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero – coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt – to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmail into supporting him?''

''No!'' I said. ''Poseidon did not – I did not –''

''I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance,'' Hades snarled, ''because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you.''

I asked ''You did not try to stop us? But –''

''Return my helmet now, or I will stop death,'' Hades threatened. ''That is my counter proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson – _your_ skeleton will lead my army out of Hades.''

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

Peter snarled and barked an order that was overflowed with power " **STAND DOWN**!" All of the skeletal soldiers stopped moving and lowered their weapons. 

At that point, I probably should have been terrified. The strange thing was, I felt offended. Nothing gets me angrier than being accused of something I did not do. I have had a lot of experience with that.

Peter growled and said to Hades "You are being just as bad as Zeus! You think I Percy, who I have become good friends with, stole your helmet? You know how much I swear Hades, I swear on the River Styx that Percy and I had nothing to do with stealing neither your Helmet nor the Bolt of Zeus!" Thunder roared.

Hades's anger stopped immediately as he asked "You did not steal them?"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "I am still standing here after swearing to the River Styx. I think Percy and I ore innocent. Besides, why would I steal from you? You have been like a father to me."

I was in shock, Hades a father? I shook my head trying to figure how that would work. Nope nothing. Asked "Wait, Hades, did you actually adopt Peter?"

Peter said with a warm smile "Actually he did. I would have died without him taking me under his wing. I was train by the best. He allowed me to wander, well, that was until someone or something took my memories…"

"You are a blood son of Poseidon and an adopted son of Hades?! IS there ANY thing else we should know about you?!" Annabeth said while almost hyperventilating.

Peter said with a smirk "There is nothing more you _**need**_ to know, but there are a lot more things you _**want**_ to know. Just know for now that I am still who I was when we all first met."

Peter said with a smirk "There is nothing more you _**need**_ to know, but there are a lot more things you _**want**_ to know. Just know for now that I am still who I was when we all first met."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but Peter cut her off "We have to deal with World War Three here people! I need you three to give me your word, that you will not tell anyone about me without my or one of my patron's go ahead."

I agreed right away and Annabeth and Grover followed suit.

Peter said "Perry open up your bag."

I slung it off my shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a sixty centimeter long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.

''Percy,'' Annabeth said. ''How –''

''I – I do not know. I do not understand.'' I was speechless. I had no helmet. I had no idea how the master bolt had got into my backpack. I wanted to think Hades was pulling some kind of trick. Hades was the bad guy. But suddenly the world turned sideways. I realized I had been played with. Zeus, Poseidon and Hades had been set at each other's throats by someone else.

The master bolt had been in the backpack, and I had got the backpack

from…

Peter said quickly before anyone could say or do anything stupid "Percy and company was tricked by Hercules. He gave us this backpack. He wants to start a war."

Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of me, and there was my mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.

I could not speak. I reached out to touch her, but the light was as hot as a bonfire.

''Yes,'' Hades said with satisfaction. ''I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change.''

I thought about the pearls in my pocket. Maybe they could get me out of this. If I could just get my mom free…

''Ah, the pearls,'' Hades said, and my blood froze. ''Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson.''

My hand moved against my will and brought out the pearls.

''Only four,' Hades said. ''What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms.''

I looked at Annabeth, Peter and Grover. Their faces were grim.

''We were tricked,'' I told them. ''Set up.''

Once again Peter groaned and said "Stop repeating me! Percy take your mother and the rest I will stay behind. Hades usually keeps his word."

''Yes, but why?'' Annabeth asked. ''And the voice in the pit –''

''I do not know yet,'' I said. ''But I intend to ask.''

''Decide, boy!'' Hades yelled.

''Percy.'' Grover put his hand on my shoulder. ''You cannot give him the bolt.''

I muttered ''I know that!''

''Leave me here,'' he said. ''Use the fourth pearl on your mom.''

Once I heard that I almost shouted ''No!''

''I am a satyr,' Grover said. ''We do not have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he will not get me forever. I will just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It is the best way.''

''No.'' Annabeth drew her bronze knife. ''You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting.''

Peter chuckled and said "I like your style Annie!" Then his mood changed to a dark one "But Percy needs you to stay and keep him in line."

I pouted at that.

Peter then said "I will stay behind for a while."

''No way,'' Grover said. ''I am staying behind.''

''Think again, goat boy,'' Annabeth said.

''Stop it, all of you!'' I felt like my heart was being ripped in two. They had both been with me through so much. I remembered Grover dive bombing Medusa in the statue garden, and Annabeth saving us from Cerberus; we had survived Hephaestus's Water Land ride, the St Louis Arch, the Lotus Casino. I had spent thousands of miles worried that I had be betrayed by a friend, but these friends would never do that. They had done nothing but save me, over and over, and now they wanted to sacrifice their lives, for my mom who they never knew!

''I know what to do,'' I said. ''Take these.''

I handed them each a pearl.

Annabeth said, ''But, Percy…''

I turned and faced my mother. I desperately wanted to sacrifice myself and use the last pearl on her, but I knew what she would say. She would never allow it. I had to get the bolt back to Olympus and tell Zeus the truth. I had to stop the war. She would never forgive me if I saved her instead. I thought about the prophecy made at Half Blood Hill what seemed like a million years ago. " _You will fail to_ _save what matters most in the end."_

''I am so sorry,'' I told her. ''I will be back. I will find a way.''

The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, ''Godling…?''

''I will find your helmet, Uncle,'' I told him. ''And I will return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise.''

Hades began ''Do not defy me –''

''And it would not hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls.'' I said.

''Percy Jackson, you will not –'' Hades began to shout.

I shouted, ''Now, guys!''

We smashed the pearls at our feet. For a scary moment, nothing happened.

Hades yelled, ''Destroy them!''

The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.

Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl exploded at my feet with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. I was encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.

Annabeth and Grover were right behind me and wait… my mother?! Damn you Peter! Spears and bullets sparked harmlessly off the pearl bubbles as we floated up.

Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was not going to be a peaceful night in L.A.

"Look up!" Grover yelled. "We are going to crash!''

Sure enough, we were racing right towards the stalactites, which I figured would pop our bubbles (no pun intended) and skewer us.

''How do you control these things?'' Annabeth shouted.

''I do not think you do!'' I shouted back.

We screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and… Darkness.

Were we dead?

No, I could still feel the racing sensation. We were going up, right through solid rock as easily as an air bubble in water. That was the power of the pearls, I realized – _What belongs to the sea will_ _always return to the sea._

For a few moments, I could not see anything outside the smooth walls of my sphere, and then my pearl broke through on the ocean floor. The three other milky spheres, Annabeth and Grover, and my mother had kept pace with me as we soared upward through the water. And _ker blam!_

We exploded on the surface, in the middle of Los Angeles Bay, knocking a surfer off his board with an indignant, ''Dude!''

I grabbed Grover and hauled him over to a lifebuoy. I caught Annabeth and dragged her over too, my mom swam with me.

A curious shark was circling us, a great white about three meters long.

I said, ''Beat it.''

The shark turned and raced away as if afraid.

The surfer screamed something about bad mushrooms and paddled away from us as fast as he could.

Somehow, I knew what time it was: early morning, June 21, the day of the summer solstice.

In the distance, Los Angeles was on fire, plumes of smoke rising from neighborhoods all over the city. There had been an earthquake, all right, and it was Hades's fault. He was probably sending an army of the dead after me right now.

But at the moment, the Underworld was not my biggest problem.

I had to get to shore. I had to get Zeus's thunderbolt back to Olympus. Most of all, I had to have a very serious conversation with the god who had tricked me.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

Picture the largest concert crowd you have ever seen, a football field packed with a million fans.

Now imagine a field a million times that big, packed with people, and imagine the electricity has gone out, and there is no noise, no light, no beach ball bouncing around over the crowd, no music. It was as if something tragic has happened backstage. Whispering masses of people are just milling around in the shadows, waiting for a concert that will never start.

If you can picture that, you have a pretty good idea what the Fields of Asphodel looked like. The black grass had been trampled by eons of dead feet. A warm, moist wind blew like the breath of a swamp. Black trees grew in clumps here and there dotting the landscape.

The cavern ceiling was so high above us it might have been a bank of storm clouds, except for the stalactites, that glowed faint grey and looked wickedly pointed. Fallen stalactites dotted around the fields were several that had fallen and impaled themselves in the black grass so of the stalactites were the size of booster rockets.

Percy, Annabeth, Grover tried to blend into the crowd, keeping an eye out for security ghouls. I looked for familiar faces or people who could have been living among the spirits of Asphodel. I could tell Percy was trying to look at them, but I could tell it as not working. I could because I was blessed by Hades. The ghosts all look slightly angry or confused. They would come up to you and speak, but their voices sound like chatter, like bats twittering. Once they realize you cannot understand them, they frown and move away, I did my best to ignore them, but it was hard at times.

The dead truly are not scary. They are just simply sad.

We crept along, following the line of new arrivals that snaked from the main gates towards a black tented pavilion with a banner that read:

JUDGMENTS FOR ELYSIUM AND ETERNAL DAMNATION

Welcome, Newly Deceased!

Out the back of the tent came two much smaller lines.

To the left, spirits flanked by security ghouls were marched down a rocky path towards the Fields of Punishment, which glowed and smoked in the distance, a vast, cracked wasteland with rivers of lava and minefields and miles of barbed wire separating the different torture areas.

Even from far this away, I could see people being chased by hellhounds, burned at the stake, forced to run naked through cactus patches or listen to opera music. I could just make out a tiny hill, with the ant size figure of Sisyphus struggling to move his boulder to the top. And I saw worse tortures, too, being skinned alive, having your muscles pulled off your bone by agonizing fiber by agonizing fiber. I saw people buried up to their necks and ants and spiders began to crawl all over their faces and began to crawl inside… And things much, much worse that I dare not say lest give you nightmare for the rest of eternity.

The line coming from the right side of the judgment pavilion was much better. This one led down towards a small valley surrounded by walls, a gated community, which seemed to be the only happy part of the Underworld. Beyond the security gate were neighborhoods of beautiful houses from every time period in history, Roman villas and mediaeval castles and Victorian mansions. Silver and gold flowers bloomed on the lawns. The grass rippled in rainbow colors. I could hear laughter and smell barbecue cooking.

Elysium.

In the middle of that valley was a glittering blue lake, with three small islands like a vacation resort in the Bahamas. The Isles of the Blest, for people who had chosen to be reborn three times, and three times achieved

I looked down and saw it; I had a sense of déjà as if I had been there… My thoughts were interrupted by Annabeth-

"That is what it's all about," Annabeth said, like she was reading my thoughts. "That is the place for heroes."

I to Percy said "I know what you are think Perse, ' _why so few'._ People tend not to care what they do when they are alive they do not hurt others, yet they do not help either. They do bad, but also a little good. Very few are quote "Worthy Enough" to go to Elysium. Even fewer still has gone to "The Isles of the Blest"."

We left the judgment pavilion and moved deeper into Asphodel. It got darker. The colors faded from our clothes. The crowds of chattering spirits began to thin.

After a few miles of walking, we began to hear a familiar screech in the distance. Looming on the horizon was a palace of glittering black obsidian. Above the parapets swirled three dark bat like creatures: the Furies. I knew they were waiting for us…

"I suppose it _is_ too late to turn back…" Grover said wistfully.

"We will be okay." Percy tried to sound confident, but I could read through it easily.

"Maybe we should search some of the other places first," Grover suggested. "Like, Elysium, for instance…"

I snorted and said "Good like trying to break in, they have several heroes of old guarding the gate, place a few magical barriers. Trust me, I know. Besides the bolt would be in a place where no one wants to go, or a place where they least expect it." Though I wish I could go, but something tells me it would be a bad idea to go there, as if, if I go I would not come back out again…

"Come on, goat boy." Annabeth grabbed his arm.

Grover yelped. His trainer's sprouted wings and his legs shot forward, pulling him away from Annabeth. He landed flat on his back in the grass.

"Grover," Annabeth chided. "Stop messing around."

"But I did not do-" He yelped again. His shoes were flapping like crazy now. They levitated off the ground and started dragging him away from us.

" _Maia!"_ he yelled, but the magic word seemed to have no effect. _"Maia,_ already! 911! Help!"

Percy got over being stunned and made a grab for Grover's hand, but too late. He was picking up speed, skidding downhill like a bobsled.

I stood there and muttered "Ok that was _Unexpected_!"

We ran after him.

Annabeth shouted, "Untie the shoes!"

I rolled my eyes and thought sarcastically _"Great idea! The problem is, is that you are trying to do a sit up from being upside down, can you do that? I do not think you can."_ Grover tried but was unable to do so.

We kept after him, trying to keep him in sight as he zipped between the legs of spirits who chattered at him in annoyance.

Grover was going to barrel straight towards the gates of Hades's palace, but when his shoes veered sharply to the right and dragged him in the opposite direction. I knew something bad was going to go down.

The slope got steeper. Grover picked up speed. Annabeth and Percy had to sprint to keep up. The cavern walls narrowed on either side, and I realized we had entered some kind of side tunnel. No black grass or trees now, just rock underfoot, and the dim light of the stalactites above.

"Grover!" Percy yelled, my voice echoing. "Hold on to something!"

"What?" he yelled back.

He was grabbing at gravel, but there was nothing big enough to slow him down.

The tunnel got darker and colder.

The hairs on my arms bristled. It smelled evil down here, true evil. It made me think of things I should not even know about – blood spilled on an ancient stone altar, the foul breath of a murderer.

Then I saw what was ahead of us, and I stopped dead in my tracks.

The tunnel widened into a huge dark cavern, and in the middle was a chasm the size of a city block.

Grover was sliding straight towards the edge.

"Come on, Percy!" Annabeth yelled, tugging at my wrist.

''But that is-" Percy began to say

''I know!'' she shouted. ''The place you described in your dream! But Grover's going to fall if we do not catch him!'' She was right, of course. Grover's predicament got him moving again.

He was yelling, clawing at the ground, but the winged shoes kept dragging him towards the pit, and it did not look like we could possibly get to him in time.

What saved him were both his hooves and my web shooters.

The flying sneakers had always been a loose fit on him, and finally Grover hit a big rock and the left shoe came flying off. It sped into the darkness, down into the chasm. The right shoe kept tugging him along, but not as fast. Grover was able to slow himself down by grabbing on to the big rock and using it like an anchor.

He was about three meters from the edge of the pit when I did something that caught Grover, that I had wished to keep secret. I shot a web line at Grover and the line stuck onto Grover's chest. I leaned back and began to haul him back up the slope. At least I knew my web shooters work!

Annabeth and Percy rushed to Grover and began to pull him up the hill, while I kept pulling that rope, soon the other winged shoe tugged itself off, circled around us angrily and kicked our heads in protest before flying off into the chasm to join its twin. I snapped my fingers in an effort to make them forget I used the webbing.

Most of us collapsed, exhausted except for me, of course, but began, to feel sick, my dangers sense was screaming at me. It _**WAS**_ crippling I had to crouch down onto the obsidian gravel.

Grover was scratched up pretty bad. His hands were bleeding. His eyes had gone slit pupilled, goat style, the way they did whenever he was terrified.

"I do not know how…'' he panted. ''I did not…''

''Wait,'' Percy said. ''Listen.''

I heard something – a deep whisper in the darkness, I knew it was evil and was nothing but bad news. I stood up and was ready for anything, or at least I hoped we were.

Another few seconds, and Annabeth said, "Percy, this place –"

''Shhh.'' Percy stood with me.

The sound was getting louder, a muttering, evil voice from far, far below us. Coming from the pit.

Grover sat up. ''What – what is that noise?''

Annabeth heard it too, now. I could see it in her eyes. ''Tartarus. The entrance to Tartarus.''

I thought _"We have a WISE Girl here! Of course it is! What did you think it was the Grand Canyon?!"_

Percy uncapped Anaklusmos. The bronze sword expanded, gleaming in the darkness, and the evil voice seemed to falter, just for a moment, before resuming its chant.

I could almost make out words now, ancient, ancient words, older even than Greek.

Percy muttered. "Magic,"

''We have to get out of here!'' Annabeth said.

I said sarcastically "Thank you Captain Obvious!"

Annabeth said "There is no need for sarcasm!"

I rolled my eyes and said "And there is no need for you to be so grouchy."

Annabeth said with a growl "We are at the very edge of the Pit! And you are making jokes?!"

I shrugged my shoulders and said "I guess I could work on my timing, but hey, at least we did not fall in…" I had a bad feeling about Tartarus and how I think some of us would get in. I muttered under my breath _"At least not this time_..."

Together, Percy and Annabeth dragged Grover to his hooves and started back up the tunnel. The voice got louder and angrier behind us, and we all broke into a run.

And not a moment too soon.

A cold blast of wind pulled at our backs, as if the entire pit were inhaling. For a terrifying moment, I thought Percy lost ground, as his feet slipping in the gravel. If we had been any closer to the edge, we would have been sucked in.

They kept struggling forward, and finally reached the top of the tunnel, where the cavern widened out into the Fields of Asphodel. The wind died. A wail of outrage echoed from deep in the tunnel. For some reason I felt the wind but it could not pull me back…

Someone or something was not happy we had gotten away.

''What _was_ that?'' Grover panted, when we had collapsed in the relative safety of a black poplar grove. "One of Hades's pets?"

Annabeth and Percy looked at each other. I could tell she was nursing an idea, probably the same one she had got during the taxi ride to L.A., but she was too scared to share it.

Percy capped his sword and then put the pen back in his pocket. "Let's keep going." Percy looked at Grover. "Can you walk?"

He swallowed. ''Yeah, sure. I never liked those shoes, anyway.''

He tried to sound brave about it, but he was trembling as badly as Annabeth and Percy were. I am not sure if I was or not.

I was glaring at the entrance of the Pit in deep thought. I knew I had been down there, but something told me things had changed…

I was pulled out of my thought when Percy asked me "Peter, what did you do back there?"

I frowned and muttered "I thought I used the Mist to cover that up…" I gave a sigh and said "I wanted to work on something that would be nonlethal, and that I could bring anywhere without suspicion. So I and Charlie made a pair of enchanted watches. I modified the watches to shoot a few chemicals compounds that would create a polymer-"

Percy cut me off and said "In English!"

Annabeth said "So you are making-"

I sighed and said "The rope you see is like five times stronger than steel…"

I saw Annabeth's mind gear begin to spin she began to say "Five times stronger than steel…." Then she turned pale and whispered "spider…. Spider web…."

I sighed and said while pinching the bridge of my nose "And that was why I tried to keep it hidden, I knew it might scare you Ann, especially after seeing you at the Tunnel of Love."

Percy said with a grin "Just like Spider Man?!"

I flinched when he said that before saying "Yes, similarly to Spider Man." I got a headache from hearing those words " _Spider Man_ " and I saw a human rhino hybrid, a scorpion human hybrid, a man with for metal tentacle like arms, a humanoid lizard…

All Percy could say was one word "Awesome!" He thought me being Spider Man was awesome, I guess that was ok… Though I sensed I was more closely connected to it than this…

Percy glanced back at the Pit then to turn his back on that tunnel and head towards the palace of Hades…

The Furies circled the parapets, high in the gloom. The outer walls of the fortress glittered black, and the two storey tall bronze gates stood wide open.

Up close, I saw that the engravings on the gates were scenes of death. Some were from modern times – an atomic bomb exploding over a city, a trench filled with gas mask wearing soldiers, a line of African famine victims waiting with empty bowls – but all of them looked as if they had been etched into the bronze thousands of years ago. I had a sense of déjà again, as if I was here when there were new…

I knew some of these were prophecies that had come true and others that have yet to pass...

Inside the courtyard was _one_ the strangest garden I had ever seen. Multicolored mushrooms, poisonous shrubs and weird luminous plants grew without sunlight. Precious jewels made up for the lack of flowers, piles of rubies as big as my fist, clumps of raw diamonds. Standing here and there like frozen party guests were Medusa's garden statues, petrified children, satyrs and centaurs, all smiling grotesquely.

In the centre of the garden was an orchard of pomegranate trees, their orange blooms neon bright in the dark. "The garden of Persephone," Annabeth said. "Keep walking."

I understood why she wanted to move on. The tart smell of those pomegranates was almost overwhelming. I remembered the story of Persephone. One bite of Underworld food, and we would never be able to leave. Percy had to pull Grover away to keep him from picking a big juicy one.

I looked around the place and I saw very few changes in it. I chuckled while shaking my head. Some things never change

We walked up the steps of the palace, between black columns, through a black marble portico and into the house of Hades. The entry hall had a polished bronze floor, which seemed to boil in the reflected torchlight. There was no ceiling, just the cavern roof, far above.

Every side doorway was guarded by a skeleton in military gear. Some wore Greek armour, some

British redcoat uniforms, some camouflage with tattered American flags on the shoulders. They carried spears or muskets or M 16s. None of them bothered us, but their hollow eye sockets followed us as we walked down the hall, towards the big set of doors at the opposite end.

Two U.S. Marine skeletons guarded the doors. They grinned down at us, rocket propelled grenade launchers held across their chests.

''You know,'' Grover mumbled, ''I bet Hades does not have trouble with door to door salesmen.''

''Well, guys,'' Percy said. ''I suppose we should… knock?''

A hot wind blew down the corridor, and the doors swung open. The guards stepped aside.

''I guess that means _'entrez,',"_ Annabeth said.

The throne of Hades was occupied. He was the third deity I had met, but the first who really struck me as godlike.

He was at least three meters tall, for one thing, and dressed in black silk robes and a crown of braided gold. His skin was albino white, his hair shoulder length and jet black. He was not bulked up like Ares, but he radiated power. He lounged on his throne of fused human bones, looking lithe, graceful and dangerous as a panther.

The Lord of the Dead resembled pictures I had seen of Adolph Hitler, or Napoleon, or the terrorist leaders who direct suicide bombers. Hades had the same intense eyes, the same kind of mesmerizing, evil charisma.

"You are brave to come here, Son of Poseidon," he said in an oily voice. "After what you have done to me, very brave indeed. Or perhaps you are simply very foolish."

Percy stepped forward and said. ''Lord and Uncle, I come with two requests.''

I face palmed at Percy's wording, I knew Percy was not the sharpest tool in the shed, but he was far from the dullest! I hoped Hades was in one of his good moods…

Hades raised an eyebrow. When he sat forward in his throne, shadowy faces appeared in the folds of his black robes, faces of torment, as if the garment were stitched of trapped souls from the Fields of Punishment, but I knew I have seen worse, even if I can't place where…

''Only two requests?'' Hades said. ''Arrogant child. As if you have not already taken enough. Speak, then. It amuses me not to strike you dead yet.''

Percy glanced at the empty, smaller throne next to Hades's. It was shaped like a black flower, gilded with gold I know that she could calm her husband's moods. But it was summer. Of course, Persephone would be above in the world of light with her mother, the goddess of agriculture Demeter. Her visits, not the tilt of the earth, created the seasons.

Annabeth cleared her throat. Her finger prodded me in the back.

''Lord Hades,'' Percy said. ''Look, sir, there cannot be a war among the gods. It would be… bad.''

''Really bad,'' Grover added helpfully.

Peter groaned at Percy's words he was going to get himself killed!

"Return Zeus's master bolt to me," Percy said. "Please, sir. Let me carry it to Olympus."

Hades's eyes grew dangerously bright. "You dare keep up this pretence, after what you have

done?"

Percy glanced back at us.

"Um… Uncle," Percy said. "You keep saying 'after what I have done'. What exactly have I done?"

The throne room shook with a tremor so strong they probably felt it upstairs in Los Angeles. Debris fell from the cavern ceiling. Doors burst open all along the walls, and skeletal warriors marched in, hundreds of them, from every time period and nation in Western civilization. They lined the perimeter of the room, blocking the exits.

Hades bellowed, ''Do you think I _want_ war, godling?''

I snorted and thought _"You know, this does not look like a peace offering! I think you need to rethink what peace looks like!"_

''You are the Lord of the Dead,'' Percy said carefully. ''A war would expand your kingdom, right?''

''A typical thing for my brothers to say! Do you think I need more subjects? Did you not see the

sprawl of Asphodel?'' Hades practically yelled.

Percy replied ''Well…''

''Have you any idea how much my kingdom has swollen in this past century alone, how many subdivisions I have had to open?''

Percy opened his mouth to respond, but Hades was on a roll now.

''More security ghouls,'' he moaned. ''Traffic problems at the judgment pavilion. Double overtime for the staff. I used to be a rich god, Percy Jackson. I control all the precious metals under the earth. But my expenses!''

''Charon wants a pay raise,'' Percy blurted. As soon as he said it, I could tell he wished he had sewn his mouth shut.

''And do not get me started on Charon!' Hades yelled. ''He has been impossible ever since he discovered Italian suits! Problems everywhere, and I have got to handle all of them personally. The commute time alone from the palace to the gates is enough to drive me insane! And the dead just keep arriving. _No_ , godling. I need no help getting subjects! _I_ did not ask for this war!"

''But you took Zeus's master bolt.'' Percy muttered the confidence in his voice was at record lows right now.

''Lies!'' More rumbling. Hades rose from his throne, towering to the height of a football goalpost. ''Your father may fool Zeus, boy, but I am not so stupid. I see his plan.''

''His plan?'' Percy asked.

'' _You_ were the thief on the winter solstice,'' he said. ''Your father thought to keep you his little secret. He directed you into the throne room on Olympus. You took the master bolt _and_ my helmet. Had I not sent my Fury to discover you at Yancy Academy, Poseidon might have succeeded in hiding his scheme to start a war. But now you have been forced into the open. You will be exposed as Poseidon's thief, and I will have my helmet back!''

''But…'' Annabeth spoke. I could tell her mind was going a million miles an hour. 'Lord Hades, your helmet of darkness is missing, too?''

''Do not play innocent with me, girl. You and the satyr have been helping this hero – coming here to threaten me in Poseidon's name, no doubt – to bring me an ultimatum. Does Poseidon think I can be blackmail into supporting him?''

''No!'' Percy said. ''Poseidon did not – I did not –''

''I have said nothing of the helmet's disappearance,'' Hades snarled, ''because I had no illusions that anyone on Olympus would offer me the slightest justice, the slightest help. I can ill afford for word to get out that my most powerful weapon of fear is missing. So I searched for you myself, and when it was clear you were coming to me to deliver your threat, I did not try to stop you.''

Percy asked ''You did not try to stop us? But –''

''Return my helmet now, or I will stop death,'' Hades threatened. ''That is my counter proposal. I will open the earth and have the dead pour back into the world. I will make your lands a nightmare. And you, Percy Jackson – _your_ skeleton will lead my army out of Hades.''

The skeletal soldiers all took one step forward, making their weapons ready.

I snarled and barked an order with all of my fear, for my friend's safety, I roared in anger and rage " **STAND DOWN**!" All of the skeletal soldiers stopped moving and lowered their weapons. 

I growled and said to Hades "You are being just as bad as Zeus! You think Percy, who I have become good friends with, stole your helmet? You know how much I swear Hades, I swear on the River Styx that Percy and I had nothing to do with stealing neither your Helmet nor the Bolt of Zeus!" Thunder roared.

Hades's anger stopped immediately as he asked "You did not steal them?"

I rolled his eyes and said "I am still standing here after swearing to the River Styx. I think Percy and I are innocent. Besides, why would I steal from you? You have been like a father to me."

Percy asked "Wait, Hades, did you actually adopt Peter?"

I said with a warm smile "Actually he did. I would have died without him taking me under his wing. I was train by the best. He allowed me to wander, well, that was until someone or something took my memories…"

"You are a blood son of Poseidon and an adopted son of Hades?! IS there ANY thing else we should know about you?!" Annabeth said while almost hyperventilating.

I said with a smirk "There is nothing more you _**need**_ to know, but there are a lot more things you _**want**_ to know. Just know for now that I am still who I was when we all first met."

Annabeth opened her mouth, but Peter cut her off "We have to deal with World War Three here people! I need you three to give me your word, that you will not tell anyone about me without my or one of my patron's go ahead."

Percy agreed right away and Annabeth and Grover followed suit.

I said Percy "Percy open up your bag."

He slung it off his shoulder and unzipped it. Inside was a sixty centimeter long metal cylinder, spiked on both ends, humming with energy.

''Percy,'' Annabeth said. ''How –''

''I – I do not know. I do not understand.'' Percy was speechless, and that was quite a feat!

I said quickly before anyone else could say or do anything stupid "Percy and company was tricked by Hercules. He gave us this backpack. He wants to start a war."

Hades loosed a ball of gold fire from his palm. It exploded on the steps in front of us, and there was Percy's mother, frozen in a shower of gold, just as she was at the moment when the Minotaur began to squeeze her to death.

''Yes,'' Hades said with satisfaction. ''I took her. I knew, Percy Jackson that you would come to bargain with me eventually. Return my helmet, and perhaps I will let her go. She is not dead, you know. Not yet. But if you displease me, that will change.''

''Ah, the pearls,'' Hades said, ''Yes, my brother and his little tricks. Bring them forth, Percy Jackson.''

Percy's hand moved against his will and brought out the pearls.

''Only four,'' Hades said. ''What a shame. You do realize each only protects a single person. Try to take your mother, then, little godling. And which of your friends will you leave behind to spend eternity with me? Go on. Choose. Or give me the backpack and accept my terms.''

Percy looked at us, Annabeth, Grover, and me. I looked at Annabeth's face it was grim, I looked at Grover's and face it had a bleak expression on it. Me? I am pretty sure I was stoic…

''We were tricked,'' Percy told us. ''Set up.''

Once again I groaned and had to say something "Stop repeating me! Percy take your mother and the rest I will stay behind. Hades usually keeps his word."

''Yes, but why?'' Annabeth asked. ''And the voice in the pit –''

''I do not know yet,'' Percy said. ''But I intend to ask.''

''Decide, boy!'' Hades yelled.

''Percy.'' Grover put his hand on his shoulder. ''You cannot give him the bolt.''

Percy muttered ''I know that!''

''Leave me here,'' he said. ''Use the fourth pearl on your mom.''

Once Percy heard that he almost shouted ''No!''

''I am a satyr,' Grover said. ''We do not have souls like humans do. He can torture me until I die, but he will not get me forever. I will just be reincarnated as a flower or something. It is the best way.''

''No.'' Annabeth drew her bronze knife. ''You two go on. Grover, you have to protect Percy. You have to get your searcher's license and start your quest for Pan. Get his mom out of here. I'll cover you. I plan to go down fighting.''

I chuckled and said "I like your style Annie!" Then my mood changed to a dark one matching the situation we were in "But Percy needs you to stay and keep him in line."

Percy pouted at that.

I then said "I will stay behind for a while."

''No way,'' Grover said. ''I am staying behind.''

''Think again, goat boy,'' Annabeth said.

''Stop it, all of you!'' Percy shouted tears were almost on the surface, ''I know what to do,'' Percy said. ''Take these.''

He handed us each a pearl.

Annabeth said, ''But, Percy…''

Percy turned and faced my mother. I could see and feel the longing from Percy. I knew my fatal flaws to know similarly to know how Percy may be feeling. The line of the prophecy echoed in my mind " _You will fail to_ _save what matters most in the end."_ I knew to Percy, his mother was worth more than the world, more than even the universe. This had to be killing him from the inside out.

''I am so sorry,'' Percy told his mother. ''I will be back. I will find a way.''

The smug look on Hades's face faded. He said, ''Godling…?''

''I will find your helmet, Uncle,'' Percy told him. ''And I will return it. Remember about Charon's pay raise.''

Hades began ''Do not defy me –''

''And it would not hurt to play with Cerberus once in a while. He likes red rubber balls.'' Percy said.

''Percy Jackson, you will not –'' Hades began to shout.

Percy shouted, ''Now, guys!''

They smashed the pearls at their feet. For a scary moment, absolutely nothing happened.

Hades yelled, ''Destroy them!''

The army of skeletons rushed forward, swords out, guns clicking to full automatic. The Furies lunged, their whips bursting into flame.

Just as the skeletons opened fire, the pearl exploded at Percy 's feet with a burst of green light and a gust of fresh sea wind. Percy and gang were encased in a milky white sphere, which was starting to float off the ground.

Annabeth and Grover were right behind Percy. Did I mention I threw my pearl at Sally's feet? Yup I am going to be underground for a while.

Hades yelled with such rage, the entire fortress shook and I knew it was _not_ going to be a peaceful night in L.A.

"Look up!" Grover yelled. "We are going to crash!''

Sure enough, they were racing right towards the stalactites, I knew they would be safe, but they did not seem to know that.

''How do you control these things?'' Annabeth shouted.

''I do not think you do!'' Percy shouted back.

They screamed as the bubbles slammed into the ceiling and… they were gone…

I turned to Hades with a grin and said "You think that fooled them?"

Hades had a small smirk and said "Oh I think that fooled them."

Commanding all the dead was really exhausting, so I sat down on the ground with my legs crossed. I was slowly regaining my energy back.

I turned by to Hades and asked "Can you give me back some of my memories, if I remember rightly I gave you, Artemis, Hestia, and maybe Poseidon my memories…"

Hades said nothing, instead he just shot me with a beam of darkness and shadows. Once the beam hit me in the head, I regained a lot of memories, mostly of the time in the underworld and in the Pit.

It took a few minute for the headache to ease and for the memories to find its place, but once it did it was worth it. I remember a lot of things now, but I still had a few things missing. I just hope I can gain back all of my memories soon. Soon I am beginning to realize that I have lost a lot more memories than I thought. After several minutes I spoke up saying "Hades, how good are you at acting, I know your baby brother is one of the best…"

He smirked a evil smirk and said "Want to find out…?"

I said "I am going to be going to Olympus. I am going to need you to be at stand by. I am thinking about pretty much blowing up the system…"

Hades chuckled and said "Oh I will be there! Thunder Beard is always entertaining when he is angry…"

I gave him a nod, I knew I could talk to him for hours, but I did not have the time. I asked him "Can you please bring me to the edge of the Styx?"

He gave me a nod before shadow traveling us there. Once there I shut my eyes and took a deep breath before I began to walk towards the river's edge. I walked right up to it before I began to wade into it. The water itself burned, it was up to date the most painful experience I have felt in this life.

I shut my eyes and began to hum a slow soft tune. I felt a warm sensation flowing from my heart and out. I focused on all of the hope I had. I used the blessing of Hestia to give hope back to the river. I began to sing a soft song, that I myself did not know, but it felt pure and clean.

The black waters began to grow clear, the pollutions began to disappear. I could feel the hopelessness fading and being replaced with hope. I could feel hundreds of years of hate slowly dissolving.

Soon a beautiful lady appeared before me. I bowed and said "Lady Styx,"

Styx looked at me and said after a few seconds of silence "Thank you for cleaning my river," After waiting five seconds "…Again"

I chuckled and said "I gave you my word, I do everything I can to keep my word."

Styx shook her head and said "You gave your word to my on your honor, not to 'me'. I trust you not to break your word; you have always kept it even over the most mundane things."

Peter looked away and said "Not always, I fail to protect those who matters most to me. They end up died, even though I vowed to protect them…"

Styx gave me a hug and said "It is ok, you are not omnipotent, and you cannot control everything. You are not omniscience, he do not know what will happen and where it will happen…"

I shut my eyes and accepted the comfort and love from Styx which is ironic because the River Styx is known as; the river of hate.

After about a minute or so we releashed each other.

I felt some comfort and anyone could tell that much, but me.

Styx said softly "You are always welcomed to my river Peter."

I gave her a nod of thanks and said "Thank you. I think I fulfilled my oath of staying behind for a while." I finished with a smirk.

Styx rolled her eyes and said "You have always made double and triple meaning to your words as well as putting in clauses. Yes you may go."

I gave her a smile and said "I will try to visit more often now that I have more of my memory back."

Styx smiled and said "Very well." Styx faded back into her river.

I looked at Hades and he was smile while shaking his head. I shot him an eyebrow as I walked out of the water.

Hades looked at me and said with a chuckle "Peter, my friend, you are the only one that can get love out of the river of hate."

I rolled my eyes and said "And I can make the Brooding One laugh."

Hades chuckled and said "You are right."

I asked Hades "Can I leave now?"

Hades rolled his eyes and said "The moment they touched the roof and you counted to three, you could have gone the way you worded the vow. Yes you may go."

I gave him a nod of gratitude and said "I did try to protect you, though I did blame Ares, I thought for sure he would be the one to betray the gods for a start of a war…"

Hades gave me a nod before snapping his fingers. I was wrapped up in shadows, the next thing I knew I was standing on the beach a few yards behind Percy, Grover, Annabeth and Sally.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

A Coast Guard boat picked us up, but they were too busy to keep us for long, or to wonder how three kids in street clothes had got out into the middle of the bay. There was a disaster to mop up. Their radios were jammed with distress calls.

They dropped us off at the Santa Monica pier with towels around our shoulders and water bottles that said "I'M A JUNIOR COAST GUARD!" and sped off to save more people.

Our clothes were sopping wet, even mine. When the Coast Guard boat had appeared, I had silently prayed they would not pick me out of the water and find me perfectly dry, which might have raised some eyebrows. So I had willed myself to get soaked. Sure enough, my usual waterproof magic had abandoned me. I was also barefoot, because I had given my shoes to Grover. Better the Coast Guard wonder why one of us was barefoot than wonder why one of us had hooves.

After reaching dry land, we stumbled down the beach, watching the city burn against a beautiful sunrise. I felt as if I had just come back from the dead – which I had. My backpack was heavy with Zeus's master bolt.

My heart was even heavier from leaving Peter behind, he chose to stay behind, instead of letting me leave my mother behind. Wait, does that mean the prophecy changed?

"I do not believe it," Annabeth said. "We went all that way –''

''It was a trick,'' I said. ''A strategy worthy of Athena.''

'Hey,' she warned.

''You get it, do not you?'' I said.

She dropped her eyes, her anger fading. ''Yeah. I get it.''

''Well, I do not!'' Grover complained. ''Would somebody –''

''Percy…'' Annabeth said. ''I am sorry about your Peter.….''

My mom wrapped her arms and me and said "It was his choice to sacrifice himself for me. He must have cared for you, all of you a lot."

I pretended not to hear her. Someone who a barely knew, someone who did not even know my mom, had to sacrifice themselves for us. He also vowed on the Styx to stay behind…

''The prophecy was right,'' I said. "'You shall go west and face the god who has turned.' But it was not Hades. Hades did not want war between the Big Three. Someone else pulled off the theft. Someone stole Zeus's master bolt, and Hades's helmet, and framed me because I _am_ Poseidon's kid. Poseidon will get blamed by both sides. By sundown today, there will be a three way war. And I will have caused it!"

My mom said "You did nothing wrong Percy, you are not to blame, if it was anyone to blame it would the Lord of the Sky for jumping to conclusions so quickly."

Thunder boomed over head.

Grover shook his head, mystified. ''But who would be that sneaky? Who would want war that bad?''

I stopped in my tracks, looking down the beach. ''Gee, let me think…''

There he was, waiting for us, in his black leather duster and his sunglasses, an aluminum baseball bat propped on his shoulder. His motorcycle rumbled beside him, its headlight turning the sand red.

''Hey, kid,'' Hercules said, seeming genuinely pleased to see me. ''You were supposed to die.''

''You tricked me,'' I said. '' _You_ stole the helmet and the master bolt!''

Hercules grinned. ''Well, now, I did not steal them personally. Gods taking each other's symbols of power – that is a big no-no. But you are not the only hero in the world who can run errands."

''Who did you use? Clarisse? She was there at the winter solstice.'' I asked.

The idea seemed to amuse him. ''Does not matter. The point is, kid, you're impeding the war effort. See, you have got to die in the Underworld. Then Old Seaweed will be mad at Hades for killing you. Corpse Breath will have Zeus's master bolt, so Zeus will be mad at _him._ And Hades is still looking for this…''

From his pocket he took out a ski cap – the kind bank robbers wear – and placed it between the handlebars of his bike. Immediately, the cap transformed into an elaborate bronze war helmet.

''The helmet of darkness,'' Grover gasped.

''Exactly,' Hercules said. ''Now where was I? Oh yeah, Hades will be mad at both Zeus and Poseidon, because he does not know who took this. Pretty soon, we got a nice little three way slugfest going.''

''But they are your family!' Annabeth protested.

Hercules shrugged and said "I deserve to be ruler, I am the best that ever lived! I deserve to be King!"

"You gave me the backpack in Denver," I said. "The master bolt was in there the whole time."

''Yes and no,'' Hercules said. " It is probably too complicated for your little mortal brain to follow, but the backpack is the master bolt's sheath, just morphed a bit. The bolt is connected to it, sort of like that sword you got, kid. It always returns to your pocket, right?"

I was not sure how Hercules knew about that….

"Anyway," Hercules continued, "I tinkered with the magic a bit, so the bolt would only return to the sheath once you reached the Underworld. You get close to Hades… Bingo, you got mail. If you died along the way – no loss. I still had the weapon."

''But why not just keep the master bolt for yourself?'' I said. ''Why send it to Hades?''

Hercules got a twitch in his jaw. For a moment, it was almost as if he were listening to another voice, deep inside his head. ''Why did not I… yeah… with that kind of fire power… I could have over thrown my father easily…'

He held the trance for one second… two seconds…

I exchanged nervous looks with Annabeth.

Hercules's face cleared. ''I did not want the trouble. Better to have you caught red handed, holding the thing.''

''You are lying,' I said. ''Sending the bolt to the Underworld was not your idea, was it?''

''Of course it was!'' he said with a growl I smelled ozone coming off him.

''You did not order the theft,'' I guessed. ''Someone else sent a hero to steal the two items. Then, when Zeus sent you to hunt him down, you caught the thief. But you did not turn him over to Zeus. Something convinced you to let him go. You kept the items until another hero could come along and complete the delivery. That thing in the pit is ordering you around.''

"I take orders from no one! I do not have dreams!''

I hesitated. ''Who said anything about dreams?''

Hercules looked agitated, but he tried to cover it with a smirk. "Let us get back to the problem at hand, kid. You _are_ alive. I cannot have you taking that bolt to Olympus. You just might get those hardheaded idiots to listen to you. So I have got to kill you. Nothing personal."

He snapped his fingers. The sand exploded at his feet and out charged a wild boar, even larger and uglier than the one whose head hung above the door of cabin seven at Camp Half Blood.

The beast pawed the sand, glaring at me with beady eyes as it lowered its razor sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

As I stepped into the surf I heard a voice behind me that said "Can't you fight for yourself? Or are you too afraid to take on _two_ _puny_ mortals?"

I turned around so fast, I was lucky not to get whip lash, there in the sea stood Peter in ankle deep water, with a mischievous smirk on his face and a crazy look in his eye.

He laughed, but I heard a little edge to his laughter… uneasiness. "You have only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You do not have what it takes."

Peter snorted and said "I slew _**BOTH**_ monster and saved the mortals! What are you? Scared?''

''In your adolescent dreams.'' But Hercules was beginning to sweat, he then said ''No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You are not at my level.''

Annabeth said, ''Percy, run!''

The giant boar charged.

But I was done running from monsters. Or Hades, or Hercules, or anybody else for that matter.

As the boar rushed me, I uncapped my pen and sidestepped. Riptide appeared in my hands. I slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at my feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.

Peter made a fist out of the sea water and smashed the boar, the ocean was stained red with blood. The sea's current washed away the blood just as quickly as it appeared. Peter said "You a coward Hercules? Are you going to fight us?"

I turned back to Hercules. 'Are you going to fight me now?' I asked. 'Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?'"

Hercules 's face was purple with rage. ''Watch it, kid. I could turn you into –''

'A cockroach,' I said. 'Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I am sure. That would save you from getting your godly hide whipped, would it not?''

Electricity danced along the top of his glasses. ''Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot.''

''If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helmet and the bolt are mine and _you_ have to go away.''

Peter chuckled and said "I have a better offer, if we lose, you can turn us into anything you like, and I will serve you for a while as a personal servant and you keep everything you have, but should you lose, you give us the Master Bolt, the Helmet of Darkness, and your jacket, it is the shield of Ares. Should you lose you will have to abide by all of these without cursing us and leaving in peace."

Hercules sneered

He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. 'How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?'

I showed him my sword, I looked behind me to see what Peter had, he had a silver sword that had icy blue sapphires on it, and it was a straight blade that did not look Greek at all. He was wearing a black trench coat, black cargo pants, and he was wearing black leather gloves with sliver studs on the knuckles.

"That is cool, dead boy,'' he said. ''Classic it is.'' The baseball bat changed into a huge, Club. The end of the handle was a large silver skull with a black stone in its mouth.

Peter said to Hercules "Swear on the Styx!"

Hercules said "I swear to abide by your terms Peter"

The thunder boomed as the oath was sealed.

''Percy,'' Annabeth said. ''Do not do this. He is a god.''

I heard Peter snort in the back ground.

''He is a coward,'' I told her.

I heard Peter muter in agreement.

She swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck."

She took off her necklace, with her five years' worth of camp beads and the ring from her father, and tied it around my neck.

''Reconciliation,'' she said. ''Athena and Poseidon together.''

My face felt a little warm, but I managed a smile. ''Thanks.''

''And take this,'' Grover said. He handed me a flattened tin can that he'd probably been saving in his pocket for a thousand miles. ''The satyrs stand behind you.''

''Grover… I do not know what to say.'' I said in shock.

Peter said from the background "Than say nothing."

He patted me on the shoulder. I stuffed the tin can in my back pocket.

''You all done saying goodbye?'' Hercules came towards me, his club rested on his shoulder like a Major League Baseball player waiting to bat. ''I have been fighting for thousands of years, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?''

A smaller ego, I thought, but I said nothing. I kept my feet in the surf, backing into the water up to my ankles so I was side by side with Peter. I thought back to what Annabeth had said at the Denver diner, so long ago: _Hercules has_ _strength. That is all he has. Even strength has to how to wisdom sometimes._

He went to smite downward at my head, but I was not there.

My body thought for me. The water seemed to push me into the air and I catapulted over him, slashing as I came down. But Hercules was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should have caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his bronze club.

He grinned. ''Not bad, not too bad.''

Peter shouted to me "Percy do not, repeat do _**NOT**_ block the club strike!"

I thought _"Yeah! Like I am going to block a god's full strike with a puny sword!"_

He swung again and I was forced to jump onto dry land. I tried to sidestep, to get back to the water, but Hercules seemed to know what I wanted. He outmaneuvered me, pressing so hard I had to put all my concentration on not getting sliced into pieces. I kept backing away from the surf.

I could not find any openings to attack.

His giant club had a reach a meter longer than Anaklusmos.

" _Get in close,"_ Luke had told me once, back in our sword class. " _When you have got the shorter blade, get in close."_

I stepped inside with a thrust, but Hercules was waiting for that. He knocked my blade out of my hands and kicked me in the chest. I went airborne – fifteen, maybe twenty meters. I would have broken my back if I had not crashed into the soft sand of a dune.

''Percy!'' Annabeth yelled. ''Cops!''

I was seeing double. My chest felt like it had just been hit with a battering ram, but I managed to get to my feet.

I could not look away from Hercules for fear he would slice me in half, but out of the corner of my eye I saw red lights flashing on the shoreline boulevard. Car doors were slamming.

''There, officer!'' somebody yelled. ''See?''

A gruff cop voice: ''Looks like that kid on TV… what the heck…''

''That guy's armed,'' another cop said. ''Call for backup.''

I froze when I saw the club coming down; there was no why I could get out of the way fast enough. Just before the club hit, something hit me from the side, I felt my back crack, but it did not break. I landed in the water just as I head a roar of pain.

I surfaced and I saw Peter's left arm completely flattened, it looked like someone ran over it with a stream roller. Hercules Sparta kicked Peter, but surprisingly towards the ocean.

I felt Riptide appear in my pocket I ran towards Peter with my sword in hand, but Hercules seemed to know exactly what I was going to do the moment before I did it.

''Admit it, kid,'' Hercules said. ''You got no hope. I am just toying with you.''

My senses were working overtime. I now understood what Annabeth had said about ADHD keeping you alive in battle. I was wide awake, noticing every little detail.

I could see where Hercules was tensing. I could tell which way he would strike. At the same time, I was aware of Annabeth and Grover, ten meters to my left and I sensed Peter recovering a few feet behind Hercules.

I saw a second cop car pulling up, siren wailing. Spectators, people who had been wandering the streets because of the earthquake, were starting to gather. Among the crowd, I thought I saw a few who were walking with the strange, trotting gait of disguised satyrs. There were shimmering forms of spirits, too, as if the dead had risen from Hades to watch the battle. I heard the flap of leathery wings circling somewhere above.

More sirens.

I stepped further into the water, but Hercules was fast he grabbed my throat.

A police voice on a megaphone said, ''Drop the guns! Set them on the ground. Now!''

Guns?

I looked at Hercules 's weapon, and it seemed to be flickering; sometimes it looked like a shotgun, sometimes a giant club sword. I did not know what the humans were seeing in my hands, but I was pretty sure it would not make them like me.

Hercules turned to glare at our spectators, which gave me a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on us.

''This is a private matter!'' Hercules bellowed. ''Be gone!''

He swept his hand, and a wall lightning started to go across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.

Hercules roared with laughter. ''Now, little hero. Let's add you to the barbecue.''

He went to smash me but I was able deflected his club strike. I got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside, and my sword was almost ripped out of my hands. The waves were hitting me in the back now. Hercules was up to his thighs, and wading in after me.

I felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide rolled in, and suddenly I had an idea. " _Little waves,"_ I thought. And the water behind me seemed to recede.

I was holding back the tide by force of will, but tension was building, like carbonation behind a cork.

Hercules came towards me, grinning confidently. I lowered my blade, as if I were too exhausted to go on. " _Wait for it,_ I told the sea. The pressure now was almost lifting me off my feet.

Hercules raised his club. I released the tide and jumped, rocketing straight over Hercules on a wave.

A two meter wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed. I landed behind him with a splash and feinted towards his head, as I had done before. He turned in time to raise his sword, but this time he was disoriented, he did not anticipate the trick.

I changed direction, lunged to the side and stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.

The roar that followed made Hades's earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Hercules , leaving a wet circle of sand fifteen meters wide.

Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot.

The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he'd been wounded.

He limped towards me, muttering ancient Greek curses.

Something stopped him.

It was as if a cloud covered the sun, but worse. Light faded. Sound and colour drained away. A cold, heavy presence passed over the beach, slowing time, dropping the temperature to freezing and making me feel like life was hopeless, fighting was useless.

The darkness lifted.

Hercules looked stunned.

Police cars were burning behind us. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Hercules 's feet, his glowing golden Ichor dissipating in the tide.

Hercules lowered his sword.

''You have made an enemy, godling,'' he told me.

Peter appeared next to me who was extremely exhausted; he had an ice cast on his broken arm. Peter said coldly "You lost."

''You have sealed your fate. Every time you go to battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware Peter Perseus.''

His body began to glow.

''Percy!'' Annabeth shouted. ''Do not look!''

I turned away as the god Hercules revealed his true immortal form. I somehow knew that if I looked, I would disintegrate into ashes.

The light died.

I looked back. Hercules was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades's bronze helmet of darkness and a bronze shield. I picked them up and walked towards my friends.

Peter muttered "I think I will heal up a bit more before I travel…"

But before I got there, I heard the flapping of leathery wings. Three evil looking grandmothers with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of me.

The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodd, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared, but for once she did not look threatening, well as threatening. She looked more disappointed, as if she had been planning to have me for supper, but had decided I might give her indigestion.

''We saw the whole thing,'' she hissed. ''So… it truly was not you?''

I tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.

''Return that to Lord Hades',' I said. ''Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war.''

She hesitated, and then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. ''Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again…''

She cackled, savoring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bat's wings, fluttered into the smoke filled sky and disappeared.

I joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at me in amazement.

''Percy…'' Grover said. ''That was so incredibly…''

''Terrifying,'' said Annabeth.

''Cool!'' Grover corrected.

I heard Peter shout "Exhausting and painful!"

I did not feel terrified. I certainly did not feel cool. I was tired and sore and completely drained of energy.

''Did you guys feel that… whatever it was?'' I asked.

They both nodded uneasily.

''Must have been the Furies overhead,'' Grover said.

But I was not so sure. Something had stopped Hercules from killing me, and whatever could do that was a lot stronger than the Furies. I glanced at Peter who was floating on his back with his broken arm in the water.

I looked at Annabeth, and an understanding passed between us. I knew now what was in that pit, what had spoken from the entrance of Tartarus.

I reclaimed my backpack from Grover and looked inside. The master bolt was still there. Such a small thing to almost cause World War III.

''We have to get back to New York,'' I said. ''By tonight.''

''That is impossible,'' Annabeth said, ''unless we –''

''Fly,'' I agreed.

She stared at me. ''Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, _and_ carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?''

''Yeah,'' I said. ''Pretty much exactly like that. Come on.''

I heard Peter groan and said "I am coming with…" He limped out of the water. He still had the ice cast on.

Sally said "Thank you, Peter…"

Peter said "I would do it again in a heart beat, but please try not to do it."

Everyone chuckled.

Peter said "I think we may need a plan, because I cannot risk all of your lives…"

I heard a voice say from behind "I think I could help with that..."

We turned around and was shocked to see…

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

There was an angry boar that pawed the sand, glaring at Percy with beady eyes as it lowered its razor sharp tusks and waited for the command to kill.

As Percy stepped into the surf I said to Hercules "Can't you fight for yourself? Or are you too afraid to take on _two_ _puny_ mortals?"

Percy turned around so fast, I thought he was lucky not to get whip lash. I gave him a mischievous smirk.

Hercules laughed, but could see uneasiness in it, he was afraid. "You have only got one talent, kid, running away. You ran from the Chimera. You ran from the Underworld. You do not have what it takes."

I snorted and said "I slew _**BOTH**_ monster and saved the mortals! What are you? Scared?''

''In your adolescent dreams.'' But Hercules was beginning to sweat, he then said ''No direct involvement. Sorry, kid. You are not at my level.''

Annabeth said, ''Percy, run!''

The giant boar charged.

As the boar rushed at Percy, he uncapped his pen and sidestepped. Riptide appeared in his hands. He slashed upward. The boar's severed right tusk fell at his feet, while the disoriented animal charged into the sea.

That was where I did my part I made a fist out of the sea water and smashed the boar. The ocean was stained red with blood. I willed sea's current washed away the blood and to drag it to the depths of the sea. I spoke to Hercules saying "You a coward Hercules? Are you going to fight us?"

Percy turned back to Hercules. ''Are you going to fight me now?'' Percy asked. ''Or are you going to hide behind another pet pig?'"

Hercules 's face was purple with rage. ''Watch it, kid. I could turn you into –''

'A cockroach,' Percy said. 'Or a tapeworm. Yeah, I am sure. That would save you from getting your godly hide whipped, would it not?''

Electricity danced along the top of his glasses. ''Oh, man, you are really asking to be smashed into a grease spot.''

''If I lose, turn me into anything you want. Take the bolt. If I win, the helmet and the bolt are mine and _you_ have to go away.'' Percy said

I chuckled and said "I have a better offer, if we lose, you can turn us into anything you like, and I will serve you for a while as a personal servant and you keep everything you have, but should you lose, you give us the Master Bolt, the Helmet of Darkness, and your jacket, it is the shield of Ares. Should you lose you will have to abide by all of these without cursing us and leaving in peace." I knew mine was far more risky, but also much reward. I knew he had Ares's shield because I saw the leather duster, with my memories coming I could faintly recall a few things.

Hercules sneered

He swung the baseball bat off his shoulder. ''How would you like to get smashed: classic or modern?''

Percy showed him his sword, then Percy looked behind him to see what I had, I was black trench coat, black cargo pants, and I had wearing black leather gloves with sliver studs on the knuckles. My sword was a silvery blade with sapphires on it. It was " _ **Blizzard**_ " a sword that I brought here. To say that Percy was shocked would be an understatement.

"That is cool, dead boy,'' Hercules said. ''Classic it is.'' The baseball bat changed into a huge, Club. The end of the handle was a large silver skull with a black stone in its mouth.

Peter said to Hercules "Swear on the Styx!"

Hercules sneered and said "I swear to abide by your terms Peter"

The thunder boomed as the oath was sealed.

''Percy,'' Annabeth said. ''Do not do this. He is a god.''

I heard this and snorted and thought _"More like a big baby!"_

''He is a coward,'' I told her.

I heard this and I muter _"Coward works too_."

She swallowed. "Wear this, at least. For luck."

I could not see exactly what was happening from my angle, but it looked like Annabeth was taking off her necklace. I knew she had a soft spot towards him!

''Reconciliation,'' she said. ''Athena and Poseidon together.''

I heard Percy say ''Thanks.''

''And take this,'' Grover said. ''The satyrs stand behind you.''

Once again I had no clue what they were doing, I could only hear them.

''Grover… I do not know what to say.'' Percy said in shock.

I snorted and said from way back where I was "Than say nothing."

I wondered why Sally said nothing, I guess it was because if they tried Percy would be unable to fight.

''You all done saying goodbye?'' Hercules came towards us (Percy and me), his club rested on his shoulder like a Major League Baseball player waiting to bat. ''I have been fighting for thousands of years, kid. My strength is unlimited and I cannot die. What have you got?''

I thought _"More things than you will ever know, I have friends, I have a family that is willing to die for me. You have nothing!"_

Percy walked into the surf, backing into the water up to he was up to his ankles so he was side by side with me. I thought back to what Annabeth had said at the Denver diner, so long ago: _Hercules has_ _strength. That is all he has. Even strength has to how to wisdom sometimes._

Hercules went to smite downward at my Percy and me, but Percy was not there.

I willed the water to push him into the air and out of the way, while I turned to vapor as the club passed right through me. I appeared a few feet out of range of him. Percy catapulted over Hercules, slashing as he came down. But Hercules was just as quick. He twisted, and the strike that should have caught him directly in the spine was deflected off the end of his bronze club.

I wanted to rush in, but with my memories coming back, I realized I should not interfere too much, otherwise something bad, very bad is bound to happen.

He grinned. ''Not bad, not too bad.''

I shouted to Percy "Percy do not, repeat do _**NOT**_ block the club strike!" I knew he knew better, but I still wanted to help.

He swung again and Percy was forced to jump onto dry land. Percy tried to sidestep, to get back to the water, but Hercules seemed to know what he wanted. He outmaneuvered him. Percy kept backing away from the surf.

His giant club had a reach a meter longer than Anaklusmos.

Percy stepped inside with a thrust, but Hercules was waiting for that. He knocked my blade out of his hands and kicked him in the chest. Percy went airborne – fifteen, maybe twenty meters. he would have broke his back if he had not crashed into the soft sand of a dune.

''Percy!'' Annabeth yelled. ''Cops!''

''There, officer!'' somebody yelled. ''See?''

A gruff cop voice: ''Looks like that kid on TV… what the heck…''

''That guy's armed,'' another cop said. ''Call for backup.''

Percy froze when he saw the club coming down. I knew there was no why he could get out of the way fast enough. Just before the club hit him, I shoved Percy out of the way, I felt his back crack, but it did not break. I had just enough time to raise my left arm to go parallel with the club so Hercules could not break my arm off, the down side would be… the down side would be with all the force Hercules swung with, it would have smashed my arm.

The club swung down, I raised my left arm. I felt it strike like Thor's hammer. I felt the bone in my arm liquefy. My arm lost all support. My skin became like a bag full of pudding. I did not feel any pain for a few second, and then the pain kicked in. I let out a roar of pain. The water all around me rippled and Hercules took a step back. He quickly recovered and he Sparta kicked me, but surprisingly into the ocean.

I felt the water trying to numb my pain and heal the injury, but I knew it would take much more than a little sea water to do the trick this time, but at least it was keeping the pain down to a tolerant level, well… tolerant to me.

I saw the moon in the distance and I whispered _"Artemis, could you give me a hand? I know you cannot interfere directly, but the moon controls the tide. Could you help turn the tides to our favor?"_

The moon seemed to brighten for a moment and I knew she would do what she could do.

Percy ran towards me with his sword in his hand, but Hercules seemed to know exactly what he was going to do the moment before I he did it.

''Admit it, kid,'' Hercules said. ''You got no hope. I am just toying with you.''

I was recover a bit a couple of feet behind Hercules, I made myself an ice cast, kept sea water in water form right up against my skin to both help heal and to help with the pain.

I saw a second cop car pulling up, siren wailing. Spectators, people who had been wandering the streets because of the earthquake, were starting to gather.

Among the crowd, I saw a few satyrs or were they fawns? Anyways they were disguised as mortals. There were shimmering forms of spirits, too, as if the dead had risen from Hades to watch the battle. I heard the flap of leathery wings circling somewhere above; The Three Furies.

More sirens.

Percy stepped further into the water, but Hercules was fast he grabbed Percy's throat.

A police voice on a megaphone said, ''Drop the guns! Set them on the ground. Now!''

Guns? I felt my trench coat and I still had the shotgun, right now it was worthless against immortals, well it would hurt them, like a punch, but it would not kill them,

I looked at Hercules's weapon, and it seemed to be flickering; sometimes it looked like a shotgun, sometimes a giant club.

I lost my sword, but I was too hurt to use it anyways…

Hercules turned to glare at our spectators, which gave me a moment to breathe. There were five police cars now, and a line of officers crouching behind them, pistols trained on us.

''This is a private matter!'' Hercules bellowed. ''Be gone!''

He swept his hand, and a wall lightning started to go across the patrol cars. The police barely had time to dive for cover before their vehicles exploded. The crowd behind them scattered, screaming.

Hercules roared with laughter. ''Now, little heroes. Let's add you to the barbecue.''

He went to smash Percy but he was able deflected his club strike. Percy got close enough to strike, tried to fake him out with a feint, but my blow was knocked aside, and his sword was almost ripped out of his hands. The waves were hitting Percy in the back now. Hercules was up to his thighs, and wading in after him.

I thought _"Come on Perse, help me with the tide!"_

Percy must have felt the rhythm of the sea, the waves growing larger as the tide began to rolled in.

Percy thought and I heard " _Little waves,"_

The water behind Percy and I seemed to recede.

Percy and I was holding back the tide by force of will and a little help from the _Moon_ , but tension was building, like a sling shot, being pulled further and further back. I will water from further out to come towards us so there would be more power.

Hercules came towards Percy, grinning confidently. Percy lowered my blade, as if he were too exhausted to go on.

" _Wait for it,_ Percy told the sea at the same time I told the Moon _"Almost there…"_

Hercules raised his club. Percy, Artemis and I released the tide and Percy jumped, rocketing straight over Hercules on a wave.

A two meter wall of water smashed him full in the face, leaving him cursing and sputtering with a mouth full of seaweed.

Percy landed behind him with a splash and feinted towards his head.

I controlled the Ichor in Hercules's body that confused him so when Percy did the trick by changing direction, lunged to the side and then he stabbed Riptide straight down into the water, sending the point through the god's heel.

The roar that followed made Hades's earthquake look like a minor event. The very sea was blasted back from Hercules , leaving a wet circle of sand fifteen meters wide.

Ichor, the golden blood of the gods, flowed from a gash in the war god's boot.

The expression on his face was beyond hatred. It was pain, shock, complete disbelief that he had been wounded.

I let go of his blood as the curse of blood control kicked in, I felt too tired to stand, but the sea was doing its part by trying to help, I felt Artemis trying to help me with the moon light but there was not much it was doing for me right now.

He limped towards Percy, muttering ancient Greek curses.

I stopped him.

I releashed my full dark aura, Hades, Thanatos, Tartarus, Phobos, Deimos, Nyx, Akhlys, Erebus, Khione, Boreas, and other dark, and cold blessings I have received. I darkened everything, I made the sun grow dim (sorry Apollo (not really)). All of the light began to fade. The sound and color began to drain. The temperature began to drop and I releashed misery and I took away all hope. It felt to me as if time slowed down.

After that little play of power, I was thinking about going in a coma for a few decades.

The darkness lifted.

Hercules looked stunned.

Police cars were burning behind us. The crowd of spectators had fled. Annabeth and Grover stood on the beach, in shock, watching the water flood back around Hercules 's feet, his glowing golden Ichor dissipating in the tide.

Hercules lowered his sword.

''You have made an enemy, godling,'' he told us.

I appeared next to Percy and I was extremely exhausted; I still had an ice cast on my broken arm. I said coldly to Hercules "You lost."

''You have sealed your fate. Every time you go to battle, every time you hope for success, you will feel my curse. Beware, Perseus Jackson. Beware Peter Perseus.'' Hercules said.

His body began to glow.

''Percy!'' Annabeth shouted. ''Do not look!''

Percy turned away as the god Hercules revealed his true immortal form. I shut my eyes just as he began to flash, and opened him when the lights began to die.

Percy looked back. Hercules was gone. The tide rolled out to reveal Hades's bronze helmet of darkness and a bronze shield. Percy picked them up and walked towards his friends.

I muttered "I think I will heal up a bit more before I travel…" I flopped into the water without a splash.

But before Percy got near there, I heard the flapping of leathery wings. Three evil looking monster that reminded me of the Oracle with lace hats and fiery whips drifted down from the sky and landed in front of us.

The middle Fury, the one who had been Mrs. Dodd, stepped forward. Her fangs were bared. She looked more disappointed.

''We saw the whole thing,'' she hissed. ''So… it truly was not you?''

Percy tossed her the helmet, which she caught in surprise.

''Return that to Lord Hades,'' Percy told her ''Tell him the truth. Tell him to call off the war.''

She hesitated, and then ran a forked tongue over her green, leathery lips. ''Live well, Percy Jackson. Become a true hero. Because if you do not, if you ever come into my clutches again…''

She cackled, savoring the idea. Then she and her sisters rose on their bat's wings, fluttered into the smoke filled sky and disappeared.

Percy joined Grover and Annabeth, who were staring at him in amazement.

''Percy…'' Grover said. ''That was so incredibly…''

''Terrifying,'' said Annabeth.

''Cool!'' Grover corrected.

I shouted in correction "Exhausting and painful!"

''Did you guys feel that… whatever it was?'' Percy asked.

They both nodded uneasily.

''Must have been the Furies overhead,'' Grover said.

Percy glanced at me when I was floating on my back with my broken arm in the water. I heard that and shook my head thinking " _if they only knew…"_

Percy reclaimed his backpack from Grover and looked inside. The master bolt was still there.

''We have to get back to New York,'' Percy said. ''By tonight.''

''That is impossible,'' Annabeth said, ''unless we –''

''Fly,'' Percy agreed.

She stared at him. ''Fly, like, in an airplane, which you were warned never to do lest Zeus strike you out of the sky, _and_ carrying a weapon that has more destructive power than a nuclear bomb?''

''Yeah,'' Percy said. ''Pretty much exactly like that. Come on.''

I groan and said "I am coming with…" O limped out of the water with the ice cast still on my arm.

Sally said to me "Thank you, Peter…"

I said "I would do it again in a heart beat, but please try not to do it."

Everyone chuckled.

I said "I think we may need a plan, because I cannot risk all of your lives…"

I heard a voice say from behind us "I think I could help with that..."

We turned around and was shocked to see….

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Well here was another chapter.**

 **Yes, I made Peter's memories purposely messed up, and yes he is gaining back his memory. In fact I think he has most if not all of it back now. Though je still needs to sort it out and organize it.**

 **0**

 **Can anyone guess who the voice was?**

 **I think in another two maybe four chapter and this story should be done.  
What do you think should be done with Peter? **

**Should he stay with Percy and move in with them?**

 **Should Peter stay at Camp Half Blood all year?**

 **Should Peter go ahead and joint up with the Hunt? (again)**

 **Should be become 'The Wanderer' and just wander and go to and fro?**

 **Or any combination of these?**

 **0**

 **Please drop a review and or PM me and let me know**

 **Death Fury out!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left a review and who has support me and my story.**

 **Thank you to "** **Nobel Six** **" for your review: glad you thought the fight was excellent work. The wait is over!**

 **Thank you "** **Tabris the 17th angle** **" for your review as well: You just** **want to be surprised? Well believe me, this story IS "** _ **Unexpected**_ **".**

 **The story continues like a river to the sea…**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Percy's Point of View)**

I heard a voice say from behind us "I think I could help with that..."

We turned around and there stood Ares the god of War, with a bullet proof jacket signaling he was wearing his shield.

I asked "How can and why can you help us?"

Peter rolled his eyes and limped forward "Because we just stopped another war and because we gave him his shield back. He can help us by giving us a ride back, whether he flashes us…" Peter gave a grin with a mischievous look in his eyes and then said "…Or he can let us ride his bike…"

Ares looked at Peter and said "I have been watching you for a while."

Peter snorted and said "Yeah trouble tends to find me. I bet you enjoyed some of the fights. I bet Hephaestus TV got plenty of views watching my life."

I was shocked, Peter was mouthing back to the god of War, I mean he and I were just cursed by Hercules! Does he have a death wish? Then I thought _"Maybe he does…_ he _talks about most of his family is dead and wish to see them…"_

Ares chuckled and said "Yes Hephaestus TV _**DID**_ get a lot of business."

Peter rolled his eyes and asked "Can we please get back to point?"

Ares said "Like I said I watched quite a bit of your life-"

Peter sighed and said "If what my sister told me is true, my mom's brother, my uncle, fell in love with a daughter of Mars."

Was it just me or did Ares flicker just for a second… Naw probably my ADHD acting up.

Ares gave a nod.

Peter sighed and said "Can we talk later? My arm is killing me and we need to get the bolt across the continent in a few hours."

Ares said "Yes, but first you need to answer a few questions to the press." He said that part looking at me…

It is funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. Chiron had told me that long ago. As usual, I did not appreciate his wisdom until much later. According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

This crazy kidnapper (also known as Hercules) was the same man who had abducted me and three other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten day odyssey of terror. Poor little Percy Jackson was not an international criminal, after all. He had caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterwards, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather clad man on the bus – ''Why did not I remember him before?'' The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St Louis Arch. After all, no kid could have done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid) had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun to rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred.

Percy Jackson and his three friends and his mother were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which was not hard), and played victimizes for the cameras.

''All I want,'' I said, choking back my tears, ''is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew… somehow… we would be okay. And I know he will want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number…''

After a few hours of answering questions Ares decided it was enough. He placed a hand on Peter's good shoulder, I placed a hand on his, Annabeth on me, Grover on her and my mother holding my other hand.

Ares flashed use demigods and satyr to Olympus I was shocked beyond belief:

I was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. In front of me, white marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. My eyes followed the stairway to its end, where my brain just could not accept what I saw.

Look again, my brain said.

We are looking, my eyes insisted. It is really there.

From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multilevelled palaces – a city of mansions – all with white columned porticos, gilded terraces and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires.

Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow.

Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheatre built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it was not in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must have looked twenty five hundred years ago.

This place cannot be here, I told myself. The tip of a mountain hanging over New York City like a billion ton asteroid? How could something like that be anchored above the Empire State Building, in plain sight of millions of people, and not get noticed?

But here it was. And here I was.

Ares led my trip through Olympus was a daze. I passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at me from their garden. Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia on a stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus TV The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered – satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good looking teenagers who might have been minor gods and goddesses.

Nobody seemed worried about an impending civil war. In fact, everybody seemed in a festive mood. Several of them turned to watch me pass, and whispered to themselves.

We climbed the main road, towards the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld. There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, everything glittered white and silver.

I realized Hades must have built his palace to resemble this one. He was not welcomed in Olympus except on winter solstice, so he had to built his own Olympus underground. Despite my bad experience with him, I felt a little sorry for the guy.

To be banished from this place seemed really unfair. It would make anybody bitter.

Steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room. _Room_ really is not the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet.

Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. All of the seats were occupied but one, but he walked towards his thrown, but with every step he grew in size. Each god and goddess was about five meters tall, and I am telling you, if you have ever had a dozen all powerful super huge beings turn their eyes on you at once… Well, suddenly, facing monsters seemed like a picnic.

I came towards them, my legs trembling.

The gods were in giant human form, as Hades had been, but I could barely look at them without feeling a tingle, as if my body were starting to burn.

Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue, pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well trimmed beard, marbled grey and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy grey.

Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered with colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, my father Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the

Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus cell phone.

Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on.

Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grapevine between his fingers.

And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome and leather throne with a thoughtful expression as he looked at Peter…

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark-haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest.

Next to her sat a beautiful Grey Eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena.

Then there was Aphrodite, who smiled at me knowingly and made me blush in spite of myself.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in this room it was a miracle the whole palace did not blow apart.

I looked at Peter trying to see how he was coping; he stood there analyzing everyone and everything. I thought maybe he was secretly adopted by Athena as well; I would not be surprised if he was.

As I got nearer to Zeus, the air crackled and smelled of ozone.

The god sitting next to him was his brother, without a doubt, but he was dressed very differently.

He reminded me of a beachcomber from Key West. He wore leather sandals, khaki Bermuda shorts, and a Tommy Bahamas shirt with coconuts and parrots all over it. His skin was deeply tanned, his hands scarred like an old time fisherman's. His hair was black, like mine. His face had that same brooding look that had always got me branded a rebel. But his eyes, sea green like mine, were surrounded by sun crinkles that told me he smiled a lot, too.

His throne was a deep sea fisherman's chair. It was the simple swiveling kind, with a black leather seat and a built in holster for a fishing pole. Instead of a pole, the holster held a bronze trident, flickering with green light around the tips.

The gods were not moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they had just finished an argument.

I approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father." I dared not look up. My heart was racing. I could feel the energy emanating from the two gods. If I said the wrong thing, I had no doubt they could blast me into dust.

To my left, Zeus spoke. ''Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?'' I am certain he turned to Peter and thundered "AND YOU DARE NOT BOW?!"

I kept my head down, and waited.

Peter said coldly "I bow to no _man_." He said man as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Peter continued "I will only show respect to those who have earned it."

I could smell ozone coming from Zeus, I knew he was mad.

Peter snorted and said "Zeus? I _**AM**_ your grandson you know… just saying."

''Peace, brother,'' Poseidon finally said. His voice stirred my oldest memories: that warm glow I remembered as a baby, the sensation of this god's hand on my forehead. ''The boy defers to his father. This is only right.''

"What about the other… _**thing**_? You still claim him too then?' Zeus asked menacingly. ''You claim these children whom you sired against our sacred oath!?''

"I have admitted my wrongdoing," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."

Wrongdoing.

A lump welled up in my throat. Was that all I was? A wrongdoing? The result of a god's mistake?

"I should have smitten you once you had the bolt in hand!" Zeus said with a growl.

''And risk destroying your own master bolt?'' Poseidon asked calmly. ''Let us hear him out, brother.''

Zeus grumbled some more. ''I shall listen,'' he decided. ''Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus.''

''Perseus,'' Poseidon said. ''Look at me.''

I did, and I was not sure what I saw in his face. There was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage me. It was like looking at the ocean: some days, you could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious.

I got the feeling Poseidon really did not know what to think of me. He did not know whether he was happy to have me as a son or not. In a strange way, I was glad that Poseidon was so distant. If he had tried to apologize, or told me he loved me, or even smiled, it would have felt fake. Like a human dad, making some lame excuse for not being around. I could live with that. After all, I was not sure about him yet, either.

I saw Hephaestus with a scowl on his face I was thinking about the myth where Hera threw him of Olympus for being ugly… I thought _"Like that would help with his looks!"_

Poseidon told me interrupting my thought ''Address Lord Zeus, boy. Tell him your story."

So I told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. I took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky Gods presence, and laid it at his feet.

There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a five meter javelin of arcing, hissing energy that made the hairs on my scalp rise.

''I sense the boy tells the truth,'' Zeus muttered. ''But that Hercules would do such a thing… it is most unlike him…''

''He is proud and impulsive,'' Poseidon said. ''It runs in the family.''

''Lord?'' I asked.

They both said, ''Yes?''

Peter chuckled. A few heads turned to look at him he just shrugged it off.

''Hercules did not act alone. Someone else – something else – came up with the idea.''

I described my dreams, and the feeling I had had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world and made Hercules back off from killing me.

''In the dreams,'' I said, ''the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Hercules hinted that he had been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war.''

''You are accusing Hades, after all?'' Zeus asked.

''No,'' I said. ''I mean, Lord Zeus, I have been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, was not it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there… something even older than the gods.''

The elder Olympians; Hera, Zeus, Demeter, Poseidon, wait is there a girl in the fire? … Anyways…. They looked at each other.

There was almost a shouting match, but before it happened Zeus shot the master bolt at the ceiling quickly, ending the intense discussion in Ancient Greek. I only caught one word. _Father..._

Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more." Then Zeus said. "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

He rose and looked at me. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much.''

There were a few murmurs

"I had help, sir," I said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase-"

''To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live.''

I was confused but replied anyway ''Um… thank you, sir.''

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

The rest of the gods and goddess left quickly too leaving me, and my father alone, I looked around and saw Peter was gone.

I was alone in the throne room with my father.

''Your uncle,'' Poseidon sighed, ''has always had a flair for dramatic exits. I think he would have done well as the god of theatre.''

An uncomfortable silence.

''Sir,'' I said, ''what was in that pit?''

Poseidon regarded me. ''Have you not guessed?''

''Kronos,'' I said. ''The king of the Titans.''

Even in the throne room of Olympus, far away from Tartarus, the name _Kronos_ darkened the room, made the hearth fire seem not quite so warm on my back.

Poseidon gripped his trident. ''In the First War, Percy, Zeus cut our father, Kronos, into a thousand pieces, just as Kronos had done to his own father, Ouranos. Zeus cast Kronos's remains into the darkest pit of Tartarus. The Titan army was scattered, their mountain fortress on Etna destroyed, their monstrous allies driven to the furthest corners of the earth. And yet Titans cannot die, any more than we gods can. Whatever is left of Kronos is still alive in some hideous way, still conscious in his eternal pain, still hungering for power.''

''He is healing,'' I said. ''And he is coming back.''

Poseidon shook his head. ''From time to time, over the eons, Kronos has stirred. He enters men's nightmares and breathes evil thoughts. He wakens restless monsters from the depths. But to suggest he could rise from the pit is another thing.''

''That is what he intends, Father. That is what he said.'' I almost was yelling by this point.

Poseidon was silent for a long time.

''Lord Zeus has closed discussion on this matter. He will not allow talk of Kronos. You have completed your quest, child. That is all you need to do.''

''But –'' I stopped myself. Arguing would do no good. It would very possibly anger the one of the only gods who I had on my side. ''As… as you wish, Father.''

A faint smile played on his lips. ''Obedience does not come naturally to you, does it?''

I replied ''No… sir.''

''I must take some blame for that, I suppose. The sea does not like to be restrained.'' He rose to his full height and took up his trident. Then he shimmered and became the size of a regular man, standing directly in front of me. ''You must go, child."

My Father said ''You will find her at home."

My heart was pounding. I could not believe it. ''Do you… would you…''

I wanted to ask if Poseidon would come with me to see her, but then I realized that was ridiculous. I imagined loading the God of the Sea into a taxi and taking him to the Upper East Side.

If he had wanted to see my mom all these years, he would have.

And there was Smelly Gabe to think about.

Poseidon's eyes took on a little sadness. "When you return home, Percy, you must make an important choice. You will find a package waiting in your room."

I asked ''A package?''

He replied ''You will understand when you see it. No one can choose your path, Percy. You must decide.''

I nodded, though I did not know what he meant.

''Your mother is a queen among women,'' Poseidon said wistfully. 'I had not met such a mortal woman in a thousand years. Still… I am sorry you were born, child. I have brought you a hero's fate, and a hero's fate is never happy. It is never anything but tragic.''

I tried not to feel hurt. Here was my own dad, telling me he was sorry I had been born. ''I do not mind, Father.''

''Not yet, perhaps,'' he said. ''Not yet. But it was an unforgivable mistake on my part.''

''I will leave you then.'' I bowed awkwardly. ''I – I will not bother you again.''

I was five steps away when he called, "Perseus."

I turned.

There was a different light in his eyes, a fiery kind of pride. "You did well, Perseus. Do not misunderstand me. Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."

I thought _"What about Peter…"_

As I walked back through the city of the gods, conversations stopped. The muses paused their concert. People and satyrs and naiads all turned towards me, their faces filled with respect and gratitude and, as I passed, they knelt, as if I were some kind of hero.

Fifteen minutes later, still in a trance, I was back on the streets of Manhattan.

I caught a taxi to my mom's apartment, rang the doorbell, and there she was – my beautiful mother, smelling of peppermint and licorice, the weariness and worry evaporating from her face as soon as she saw me. ''Percy! Oh, thank goodness. Oh, my baby.''

She crushed the air right out of me. We stood in the hallway as she cried and ran her hands through my hair.

I will admit it – my eyes were a little misty, too. I was shaking, I was so relieved to see her.

She told me she had just appeared at the apartment that evening, scaring Gabe half out of his wits.

I began to tell her my story when Gabe's voice interrupted us from the living room. ''Hey, Sally! That meat loaf done yet or what?''

She closed her eyes. ''He is not going to be happy to see you, Percy. The store got half a million phone calls today from Los Angeles… something about free appliances.''

We shared a smirk.

She managed a weak smile. ''Just do not make him angrier, all right? Come on.''

In the couple of months I had been gone, the apartment had turned into Gabeland. Garbage was ankle deep on the carpet. The sofa had been reupholstered in beer cans. Dirty socks and underwear hung off the lampshades.

Gabe and three of his big goony friends were playing poker at the table. When Gabe saw me, his cigar dropped out of his mouth. His face got redder than lava. "You got nerve coming here, you little punk. I thought the police –''

"He is not a fugitive after all," my mom interjected. "Is not that wonderful, Gabe?"

Gabe looked back and forth between us. He did not seem to think my homecoming was so wonderful.

''Bad enough I had to give back your life insurance money, Sally,'' he growled. ''Get me the phone. I will call the cops.''

''Gabe, no!'' Sally cried.

He raised his eyebrows. ''Did you just say " _no_ "? You think I am gonna put up with this punk again? I can still press charges against him for ruining my Camaro.''

''But –'' My mom began…

He raised his hand, and my mother flinched.

For the first time, I realized something. Gabe had hit my mother. I did not know when, or how much.

But I was sure he had done it. Maybe it had been going on for years, when I was not around.

A balloon of anger started expanding in my chest. I came towards Gabe, instinctively taking my pen out of my pocket.

He just laughed. ''What, punk? You gonna write on me? You touch me, and you are going to jail forever, you understand?''

''Hey, Gabe,'' his friend Eddie interrupted. ''He is just a kid.''

Gabe looked at him resentfully and mimicked in a falsetto voice: '' _Just a kid!''_

His other friends laughed like idiots.

''I will be nice to you, punk.'' Gabe showed me his tobacco stained teeth. ''I will give you five minutes to get your stuff and clear out. After that, I call the police.''

''Gabe!'' my mother pleaded.

''He ran away,'' Gabe told her. ''Let him stay gone.''

I was itching to uncap Riptide but, even if I did, the blade would not hurt humans. And Gabe, by the _**loosest**_ definition, was human… " _maybe he was a monster in disguise_ " I thought hopefully…

My mother took my arm. ''Please, Percy. Come on. We will go to your room.''

I let her pull me away, my hands still trembling with rage.

My room had been completely filled with Gabe's junk. There were stacks of used car batteries, a rotting bouquet of sympathy flowers with a card from somebody who had seen his Barbara Walters interview.

''Gabe is just upset, honey,'' my mother told me. ''I will talk to him later. I am sure it will work out.''

''Mom, it will never work out. Not as long as Gabe's here.'' I stated.

She wrung her hands nervously. ''I can… I will take you to work with me for the rest of the summer. In the autumn, maybe there's another boarding school –''

''Mom…."

She lowered her eyes. ''I am trying, Percy. I just… I need some time.''

A package appeared on my bed. At least, I could have sworn it had not been there a moment before.

It was a battered cardboard box about the right size to fit a basketball. The address on the mailing slip was in my own handwriting:

The Gods

Mount Olympus

600th Floor,

Empire State Building

New York, NY

With best wishes,

PERCY JACKSON

Over the top in black marker, in a man's clear bold print, was the address of our apartment, and the words: RETURN TO SENDER.

Suddenly I understood what Poseidon had told me on Olympus.

A package. A decision.

" _Whatever else you do, know that you are mine. You are a true son of the Sea God."_

I looked at my mother. ''Mom, do you want Gabe gone?''

''Percy, it is not that simple. I –''

''Mom, just tell me. That jerk has been hitting you. Do you want him gone or not?''

She hesitated, and then nodded almost imperceptibly. ''Yes, Percy. I do. And I am trying to get up my courage to tell him. But you cannot do this for me. You cannot solve my problems."

I looked at the box.

I _could_ solve her problem. I wanted to slice that package open, plop it on the poker table, and take out what was inside. I could start my very own statue garden, right there in the living room.

That is what an old Greek hero would do in the stories, I thought.

That _**is**_ what Gabe deserves.

But a hero's story always ended in tragedy. Poseidon had told me that.

I remembered the Underworld. I thought about Gabe's spirit drifting forever in the Fields of Asphodel, or condemned to some hideous torture behind the barbed wire of the Fields of Punishment – an eternal poker game, sitting up to his waist in boiling oil listening to opera music. Did I have the right to send someone there? Even Gabe?

A month ago, I would not have hesitated. Now…

''I can do it,'' I told my mom. ''One look inside this box, and he will never bother you again.''

She glanced at the package, and seemed to understand immediately. ''No, Percy,' she said, stepping away. ''You cannot.''

''Poseidon called you a queen,'' I told her. ''He said he had not met a woman like you in a thousand years.''

Her cheeks flushed. ''Percy –''

''You deserve better than this, Mom. You should go to college, get your degree. You can write your novel, meet a nice guy maybe, live in a nice house. You do not need to protect me any more by staying with Gabe. Let me get rid of him.''

She wiped a tear off her cheek. ''You sound so much like your father,'' she said. ''He offered to stop the tide for me once. He offered to build me a palace at the bottom of the sea. He thought he could solve all my problems with a wave of his hand.''

"What is wrong with that?'' I asked.

Her multicolored eyes seemed to search inside me. ''I think you know, Percy. I think you are enough like me to understand. If my life is going to mean anything, I have to live it myself. I cannot let a god take care of me… or my son. I have to… find the courage on my own. Your quest has reminded me of that."

We listened to the sound of poker chips, swearing and ESPN from the living room television.

''I will leave the box,'' I said. ''If he threatens you…''

She looked pale, but she nodded. ''Where will you go, Percy?''

''Half Blood Hill.'' I simply said.

My mom asked ''For the summer… or forever?''

I said ''I guess that depends.''

We locked eyes, and I sensed that we had an agreement. We would see how things stood at the end of the summer.

She kissed my forehead. ''You will be a hero, Percy. You will be the greatest of all.''

I took one last look around my bedroom. I had a feeling I had never see it again. Then I walked with my mother to the front door.

''Leaving so soon, punk?'' Gabe called after me. ''Good riddance.'

I had one last twinge of doubt. How could I turn down the perfect chance to take revenge on him? I was leaving here without saving my mother.

''Hey, Sally,'' he yelled. ''What about that meat loaf, huh?''

A steely look of anger flared in my mother's eyes, and I thought, just maybe, I was leaving her in good hands after all.

Her own.

''The meat loaf is coming right up, dear,'' she told Gabe. ''Meat loaf surprise.''

She looked at me, and winked.

The last thing I saw as the door swung closed was my mother staring at Gabe, as if she were contemplating how he would look as a garden statue.

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we had won some reality TV contest.

According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful – grey silk with embroidered owls – I told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She punched me and told me to shut up.

Being the sons of Poseidon, Peter and I did not have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make our shroud.

They had taken an old bed sheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed out eyes around the border, and the word LOSER painted really big in the middle.

It was fun to burn.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing along and passed out toasted marshmallows, I was surrounded by my old Hermes cabin mates, Annabeth's friends from Athena and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand new searcher's license he had received from the Council of Cloven Elders.

The council had called Grover's performance on the quest ''Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns and whiskers above anything we have seen in the past.''

The only ones not in a party mood were Clarisse and her cabin mates, whose poisonous looks told me they would never forgive me for disgracing their dad.

That was okay with me.

But when they looked at Peter there was something different… I He looked just slightly different, his arm had a cast, but it was gold and silver, his eyes were still an icy ocean blue, but when I looked closer, there was a tint of red around the edge of the eye...

Even Dionysus's welcome home speech was not enough to dampen my spirits. ''Yes, yes, so the little brat did not get himself killed and now he'll have an even bigger head. Well, huzzah for that. In other announcements, there will be _no_ canoe races this Saturday…''

I moved back into cabin three, but it did not feel so lonely any more. I had my friends to train with during the day. At night, I lay awake and listened to the sea, knowing my father was out there.

Maybe he was not quite sure about me yet, maybe he had not even wanted me born, but he was watching. And so far, he was proud of what I had done.

As for my mother, she had a chance at a new life. Her letter arrived a week after I got back to camp. She told me Gabe had left mysteriously – disappeared off the face of the planet, in fact.

She had reported him missing to the police, but she had a funny feeling they would never find him.

On a completely unrelated subject, she had sold her first life size concrete sculpture, entitled _The Poker Player_ , to a collector, through an art gallery in Soho. She had got so much money for it, she had puta deposit down on a new apartment and made a payment on her first term's tuition at NYU.

The Sohogallery was clamoring for more of her work, which they called ''a huge step forward in super uglyneorealism''.

" _But do not worry,"_ my mom wrote. " _I am done with sculpture. I have disposed of that box of tools you left me. It is time for me to turn to writing."_

At the bottom, she wrote a "P.S.: _Percy, I have found a good private school here in the city. I have put a deposit down to hold you a spot, in case you want to enroll for seventh grade. You could live at home. But if you want to go year round at Half Blood Hill, I will understand."_

I folded the note carefully and set it on my bedside table. Every night before I went to sleep, I read it again, and I tried to decide how to answer her.

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine.

Being Hephaestus's kids, they were not going to settle for a few lame red white and blue explosions.

They had anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who had seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they would look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of thirty meter tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, then explode into a million colors.

As Annabeth and I were spreading a picnic blanket, Grover showed up to tell us goodbye. He was dressed in his usual jeans and T shirt and trainers, but in the last few weeks he had started to look older, almost high school age. His goatee had got thicker. He had put on weight. His horns had grown a few centimeters at least, so he now had to wear his Rasta cap all the time to pass as human.

''I am off,'' he said. ''I just came to say… well, you know.''

I tried to feel happy for him. After all, it was not every day a satyr got permission to go look for the great god Pan. But it was hard saying goodbye. I had only known Grover a year, yet he was my oldest friend.

Annabeth gave him a hug. She told him to keep his fake feet on.

I asked him where he was going to search first.

''Kind of a secret,'' he said, looking embarrassed. ''I wish you could come with me, guys, but humans and Pan…''

I thought I heard a snort, I rolled my eyes and thought " _of course Peter is with me, he is a stalker!"_

''We understand,'' Annabeth said. ''You got enough tin cans for the trip?''

''Yeah.''

''And you remembered your reed pipes?''

''Jeez, Annabeth,'' he grumbled. ''You are like an old mama goat.''

But he did not really sound annoyed.

He gripped his walking stick and slung a backpack over his shoulder. He looked like any hitchhiker you might see on an American highway – nothing like the little runty boy I used to defend from bullies at Yancy Academy.

''Well,'' he said, ''wish me luck.''

He gave Annabeth another hug. He clapped me on the shoulder, then headed back through the dunes.

Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

''Hey, Grover,'' I called.

He turned at the edge of the woods.

''Wherever you are going – I hope they make good enchiladas.''

Grover grinned, and then he was gone, the trees closing around him.

''We will see him again,'' Annabeth said.

I tried to believe it. The fact that no searcher had ever come back in two thousand years… well, I decided not to think about that.

Grover would be the first. He had to be.

July passed.

I spent my days devising new strategies for capture the flag and making alliances with the other cabins to keep the banner out of Ares's hands. I got to the top of the climbing wall for the first time without getting scorched by lava.

Though Peter seemed to get more and more distant, I saw him less and less. I mean sure, he was there for Capture the Flap, sometimes… But he sat out a lot of them, other times he was against me, at times we were on the same side. Peter was unpredictable, but I knew he had my back.

From time to time, I had walk past the Big House, glance up at the attic windows and think about the Oracle. I tried to convince myself that its prophecy had come to completion.

 _You shall go west, and face the god who has turned._

Been there, done that – even though the traitor god had turned out to be Ares rather than Hades.

 _You shall find what was stolen, and see it safely returned._

Check.

One master bolt delivered. One helmet of darkness back on Hades's oily head.

 _You shall be betrayed by one who calls you a friend._

This line still bothered me. Ares had pretended to be my friend, and then betrayed me.

That must be what the Oracle meant….

 _And you shall fail to save what matters most, in the end._

But I thought I was going to leave my mother, but Peter took her place and appeared… That did not feel right… But…

Is that why was I still uneasy? But even then I did not think it was Peter…

The last night of the summer session came all too quickly.

The campers had one last meal together. We burned part of our dinner for the gods. At the bonfire, the senior counselors awarded the end of summer beads.

I got my own leather necklace, and when I saw the bead for my first summer, I was glad the firelight covered my blushing. The design was pitch black, with a sea green trident shimmering in the centre.

''The choice was unanimous,'' Luke announced. ''This bead commemorates the first son of the Sea God at this camp, and the quest he undertook into the darkest part of the Underworld to stop a war!''

The entire camp got to their feet and cheered. Even Ares's cabin felt obliged to stand. Athena's cabin steered Annabeth to the front so she could share in the applause.

I am not sure if I had ever felt as happy or sad as I did at that moment. I had finally found a family, people who cared about me and thought I would do something right. And in the morning, most of them would be leaving for the year…

The next morning, I found a form letter on my bedside table.

I knew Dionysus must have filled it out, because he stubbornly insisted on getting my name wrong:

Dear Peter Johnson,

If you intend to stay at Camp Half Blood year round, you must inform the Big House by noon today. If you do not announce your intentions, we will assume you have vacated your cabin or died a horrible death. Cleaning harpies will begin work at sundown. They will be authorized to eat any unregistered campers. All personal articles left behind will be incinerated in the lava pit.

Have a nice day!

Mr. D (Dionysus)

Camp Director, Olympian Council no.12

That is another thing about ADHD.

Deadlines just are not real to me until I am staring one in the face.

Summer was over, and I still had not answered my mother, or the camp, about whether I would be staying.

Now I had only a few hours to decide.

The decision should have been easy. I mean, nine months of hero training or nine months of sitting in a classroom – duh.

But there was my mom to consider. For the first time, I had the chance to live with her for a whole year, without Gabe. I had a chance be at home and knock around the city in my free time. I remembered what Annabeth had said so long ago on our quest: " _The real world is where the monsters_ _are. That is where you learn whether you are any good or not."_

I thought about the fate of Thalia, daughter of Zeus. I wondered how many monsters would attack me if I left Half Blood Hill. If I stayed in one place for a whole school year, without Chiron or my friends around to help me, would my mother and I even survive until the next summer? That was assuming the spelling tests and five paragraph essays did not kill me. I decided I would go down to the arena and do some sword practice. Maybe that would clear my head.

The campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection.

Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.

Do not think about leaving yet, I told myself. Just train.

I got to the sword fighters' arena and found that Luke had had the same idea. His gym bag was plopped at the edge of the stage. He was working solo, whacking away at battle dummies with a sword I had never seen before. It must have been a regular steel blade, because he was slashing the dummies' heads right off, stabbing through their straw stuffed guts. His orange counsellor's shirt was dripping with sweat. His expression was so intense, his life might have really been in danger. I watched, fascinated, as he disemboweled the whole row of dummies, hacking off limbs and basically reducing them to a pile of straw and armour.

They were only dummies, but I still could not help being awed by Luke's skill. The guy was an incredible fighter. It made me wonder, again, how he possibly could have failed at his quest.

Finally, he saw me, and stopped mid swing. ''Percy.''

''Um, sorry,'' I said, embarrassed. ''I just –''

''It is okay,'' he said, lowering his sword. ''Just doing some last minute practice.''

''Those dummies will not be bothering anybody any more.'' I said with a chuckle.

Luke shrugged. ''We build new ones every summer.''

Now that his sword was not swirling around, I could see something odd about it. The blade was two different types of metal – one edge bronze, the other steel.

Luke noticed me looking at it. ''Oh, this? New toy. This is Backbiter.''

''Backbiter?'' I repeated.

Luke turned the blade in the light so it glinted wickedly. ''One side is celestial bronze. The other is tempered steel. Works on mortals and immortals both.''

I thought about what Chiron had told me when I started my quest – that a hero should never harm mortals unless absolutely necessary, then I thought about Peter…

''I did not know they could make weapons like that.''

'' _They_ probably cannot,'' Luke agreed. ''It is one of a kind.''

He gave me a tiny smile, and then slid the sword into its scabbard. ''Listen, I was going to come looking for you. What do you say we go down to the woods one last time, look for something to fight?''

I do not know why I hesitated. I should have felt relieved that Luke was being so friendly. Ever since I had got back from the quest, he had been acting a little distant. I was afraid he might resent me for all the attention I have had.

''You think it is a good idea?'' I asked. ''I mean –''

''Aw, come on.'' He rummaged in his gym bag and pulled out a six pack of Cokes. ''Drinks are on me.''

I stared at the Cokes, wondering where the heck he had got them.

There were no regular mortal sodas at the camp store. No way to smuggle them in, unless you talked to a satyr maybe.

Of course, the magic dinner goblets would fill with anything you want, but it just did not taste the same as a real Coke, straight out of the can.

Sugar and caffeine.

My willpower crumbled.

''Sure,'' I decided. ''Why not?''

We walked down to the woods and kicked around for some kind of monster to fight, but it was too hot. All the monsters with any sense must have been taking siestas in their nice cool caves.

We found a shady spot by the creek where I had broken Clarisse's spear during my first capture the flag game. We sat on a big rock, drank our Cokes and watched the sunlight in the woods.

After a while Luke said, ''You miss being on a quest?''

''With monsters attacking me every few feet? Are you kidding?''

Luke raised an eyebrow.

''Yeah. I miss it,'' I admitted. ''You?''

A shadow passed over his face.

I was used to hearing from the girls how good looking Luke was, but at the moment, he looked weary, and angry, and not at all handsome. His blond hair was grey in the sunlight. The scar on his face looked deeper than usual. I could imagine him as an old man.

''I have lived at Half Blood Hill year round since I was fourteen,'' he told me. ''Ever since Thalia… well, you know. I trained, and trained, and trained. I never got to be a normal teenager, out there in the real world. Then they threw me one quest, and when I came back, it was like, 'Okay, ride's over. Have a nice life.'"

He crumpled his Coke can and threw it into the creek, which really shocked me. One of the first things you learn at Camp Half Blood is: do not litter. You will hear from the nymphs and the naiads.

They will get even. You will crawl into bed one night and find your sheets filled with centipedes and mud.

''The heck with laurel wreaths,'' Luke said. ''I am not going to end up like those dusty trophies in the Big House attic.''

''You make it sound like you are leaving.''

Luke gave me a twisted smile. ''Oh, I am leaving, all right, Percy. I brought you down here to say goodbye.''

He snapped his fingers. A small fire burned a hole in the ground at my feet. Out crawled something glistening black, about the size of my hand.

A scorpion.

I started to go for my pen.

''I would not,'' Luke cautioned. ''Pit scorpions can jump up to five meters. Its stinger can pierce right through your clothes. You will be dead in sixty seconds.''

''Luke, what –''

Then it hit me.

 _You will be betrayed by one who calls you a friend._

''You,'' I said.

He stood calmly and brushed off his jeans.

The scorpion paid him no attention. It kept its beady black eyes on me, clamping its pincers as it crawled onto my shoe.

''I saw a lot out there in the world, Percy,'' Luke said. ''Did not you feel it – the darkness gathering, the monsters growing stronger? Did not you realize how useless it all is? All the heroics – being pawns of the gods. They should have been overthrown thousands of years ago, but they have hung on, thanks to us half bloods.''

I could not believe this was happening.

''Luke… you are talking about our parents,'' I said.

He laughed. "Is that supposed to make me love them? Their precious "Western civilization" is a disease, Percy. It is killing the world. The only way to stop it is to burn it to the ground, start over with something more honest.''

''You are as crazy as Hercules!''

His eyes flared. ''Hercules is a fool. He never realized the true master he was serving. If I had time, Percy, I could explain. But I'm afraid you will not live that long.''

The scorpion crawled onto my trouser leg.

There had to be a way out of this. I needed time to think.

''Kronos,'' I said. ''That is who you serve.''

The air got colder.

''You should be careful with names,'' Luke warned.

''Kronos got you to steal the master bolt and the helmet. He spoke to you in your dreams.''

Luke's eye twitched. ''He spoke to you, too, Percy. You should have listened.''

''He is brainwashing you, Luke.''

''You are wrong. He showed me that my talents are being wasted. You know what my quest was two years ago, Percy? My father, Hermes, wanted me to steal a golden apple from the Garden of the Hesperides and return it to Olympus. After all the training I had done, _that_ was the best he could think up!"

''That is not an easy quest,'' I said. ''Hercules did it.''

''Exactly,'' Luke said. ''Where is the glory in repeating what others have done? All the gods know how to do is replay their past. My heart was not in it. The dragon in the garden gave me this –''

He pointed angrily at his scar – ''and when I came back, all I got was pity. I wanted to pull Olympus down stone by stone right then, but I bided my time. I began to dream of Kronos. He convinced me to steal something worthwhile, something no hero had ever had the courage to take. When we went on that winter solstice field trip, while the other campers were asleep, I sneaked into the throne room and took Zeus's master bolt right from his chair. Hades's helmet of darkness, too. You would not believe how easy it was. The Olympians are so arrogant; they never dreamed someone would dare steal from them. Their security is horrible. I was halfway across New Jersey before I heard the storms rumbling, and I knew they'd discovered my theft.''

The scorpion was sitting on my knee now, staring at me with its glittering eyes. I tried to keep my voice level. ''So why did not you bring the items to Kronos?''

Luke's smile wavered. ''I… I got overconfident. Zeus sent out his sons and daughters to find the stolen bolt – Artemis, Apollo, my father, Hermes, Ares. But it was Hercules who caught me. I could have beaten him, but I was not careful enough. He disarmed me took the items of power, threatened to return them to Olympus and crush me into a puddle of blood. Then Kronos's voice came to me and told me what to say. I put the idea in Hercules's head about a great war between the gods and he would be able to become king if he waited. I said all he had to do was hide the items away for a while and watch the others fight. Hercules got a wicked gleam in his eyes. I knew he was hooked. He let me go, and I returned to Olympus before anyone noticed my absence.''

Luke drew his new sword. He ran his thumb down the flat of the blade, as if he were hypnotized by its beauty.

''Afterwards, the Lord of the Titans… h he punished me with nightmares. I swore not to fail again. Back at Camp Half Blood, in my dreams, I was told that a second hero would arrive, one who could be tricked into taking the bolt and the helmet the rest of the way – from Ares down to Tartarus.''

'' _You_ summoned the hellhound, that night in the forest.''

''We had to make Chiron think the camp was not safe for you, so he would start you on your quest. We had to confirm his fears that Hades was after you. And it worked.''

''The flying shoes were cursed,'' I said. ''They were supposed to drag me and the backpack into Tartarus.''

''And they would have, if you'd been wearing them. But you gave them to the satyr, which was not part of the plan. Grover messes up everything he touches. He even confused the curse.''

Luke looked down at the scorpion, which was now sitting on my thigh. ''You should have died in Tartarus, Percy. But do not worry, I will leave you with my little friend to set things right.''

''Thalia gave her life to save you,'' I said, gritting my teeth. ''And this is how you repay her?''

''Do not speak of Thalia!'' he shouted. ''The gods _let_ her die! That's one of the many things they will pay for.''

''You are being used, Luke. You and Hercules both. Do not listen to Kronos.''

'' _I_ have been used?'' Luke's voice turned shrill. ''Look at yourself. What has your dad ever done for you? Kronos will rise. You have only delayed his plans. He will cast the Olympians into Tartarus and drive humanity back to their caves. All except the strongest – the ones who serve him.''

''Call off the bug,'' I said. ''If you are so strong, fight me yourself.''

Luke smiled. ''Nice try, Percy. But I am not Hercules. You cannot bait me. My lord is waiting, and he has got plenty of quests for me to undertake.''

''Luke –''

''Goodbye, Percy. There is a new Golden Age coming. You will not be part of it.''

He slashed his sword in an arc and disappeared in a ripple of darkness.

The scorpion lunged.

I swatted it away with my hand and uncapped my sword. The thing jumped at me and I cut it in half in midair.

I was about to congratulate myself until I looked down at my hand. My palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck.

The thing had got me after all.

My ears pounded. My vision went foggy. The water, I thought. It had healed me before.

I stumbled to the creek and submerged my hand, but nothing seemed to happen. The poison was too strong. My vision was getting dark. I could barely stand up.

 _Sixty seconds_ , Luke had told me.

I had to get back to camp. If I collapsed out here, my body would be dinner for a monster.

Nobody would ever know what had happened.

My legs felt like lead. My forehead was burning. I stumbled towards the camp, and the nymphs stirred from their trees.

''Help,'' I croaked. ''Please…''

Out of a dark shadow Peter stumbled out, wearing a black hoodie instead of the trench coat and a pair of navy blue jeans. He rushed to my side and saw my hand. He growled. He then dragged me to the water. Peter placed a hand on the wound and it hurt like Hades.

I felt something in my blood being pulled out, it was like icy fire. I could see Percy beginning to sweat.

I remember two nymphs getting help while shouting for help, a centaur blowing a conch horn.

Peter began barking orders

Then everything faded to black…

I woke with a drinking straw in my mouth. I was sipping something that tasted like liquid chocolate chip cookies.

Nectar.

I opened my eyes.

I was propped up in bed in the sickroom of the Big House, my right hand bandaged like a club.

Argus stood guard in the corner. Annabeth sat next to me, holding my nectar glass and dabbing a washcloth on my forehead.

''Here we are again,'' I said.

''You idiot,'' Annabeth said, which is how I knew she was overjoyed to see me conscious. ''You were almost dead! I do not know what Peter did, but he saved your life. Between Peter and Chiron's healing…"

''Now, now,'' Chiron's voice said. ''Percy's constitution deserves some of the credit.''

He was sitting near the foot of my bed in human form, which was why I had not noticed him yet. His lower half was magically compacted into the wheelchair, his upper half dressed in a coat and tie. He smiled, but his face looked weary and pale, the way it did when he had been up all night grading Latin papers.

''How are you feeling?'' he asked.

''Like my insides have been frozen, then microwaved.''

''Apt, considering that was pit scorpion venom. Now you must tell me, if you can, exactly what happened.''

I asked "Where is Peter?"

They glanced at one another before Annabeth said "He said he had to leave, but he is almost always an Iris Message away…"

I gave a sad nod before I began to tell them the story between sips of nectar of course.

The room was quiet for a long time.

''I cannot believe that Luke…'' Annabeth's voice faltered. Her expression turned angry and sad. ''Yes. Yes, I _can_ believe it. May the gods curse him… He was never the same after his quest.''

'This must be reported to Olympus,'' Chiron murmured. ''I will go at once.''

''Luke is out there right now,'' I said. ''I have to go after him.''

Chiron shook his head. ''No, Percy. The gods –''

''Will not even _talk_ about Kronos,'' I snapped. ''Zeus declared the matter closed!''

''Percy, I know this is hard. But you must not rush out for vengeance. You are not ready.''

I did not like it, but part of me suspected Chiron was right. One look at my hand, and I knew I was not going to be sword fighting any time soon. ''Chiron… your prophecy from the Oracle… it was about Kronos, was not it? Was I in it? And Annabeth?''

Chiron glanced nervously at the ceiling. ''Percy, it is not my place –''

''You have been ordered not to talk to me about it, have not you?''

His eyes were sympathetic, but sad. ''You will be a great hero, child. I will do my best to prepare you. But if I am right about the path ahead of you…''

Thunder boomed overhead, rattling the windows.

''All right!'' Chiron shouted. ''Fine!''

He sighed in frustration. ''The gods have their reasons, Percy. Knowing too much of your future is never a good thing.''

''We cannot just sit back and do nothing,'' I said.

'' _We_ will not sit back,'' Chiron promised. ''But _you_ must be careful. Kronos wants you to come unraveled. He wants your life disrupted, your thoughts clouded with fear and anger. Do not give him what he wants. Train patiently. Your time will come.''

''Assuming I live that long.'' I muttered.

Chiron put his hand on my ankle. "You will have to trust me, Percy. You will live. But first you must decide your path for the coming year. I cannot tell you the right choice…''

I got the feeling that he had a very definite opinion, and it was taking all his willpower not to advise me.

''… But you must decide whether to stay at Camp Half Blood year round, or return to the mortal world for seventh grade and be a summer camper. Think on that. When I get back from Olympus, you must tell me your decision.''

I wanted to protest. I wanted to ask him more questions. But his expression told me there could be no more discussion; he had said as much as he could.

''I will be back as soon as I can,'' Chiron promised. ''Argus will watch over you.''

He glanced at Annabeth. ''Oh, and, my dear… whenever you are ready, they are here.''

''Who is here?'' I asked.

Nobody answered.

Chiron rolled himself out of the room. I heard the wheels of his chair clunk carefully down the front steps, two at a time.

Annabeth studied the ice in my drink.

''What is wrong?'' I asked her.

''Nothing.'' She set the glass on the table. ''I… just took your advice about something. You… um… need anything?''

''Yeah. Help me up. I want to go outside.''

''Percy, that is not a good idea.''

I slid my legs out of bed. Annabeth caught me before I could crumple to the floor. A wave of nausea rolled over me.

Annabeth said with a sigh, ''I told you…''

''I _am_ fine,'' I insisted. I did not want to lie in bed like an invalid while Luke was out there planning to destroy the Western world.

I managed a step forward. Then another, still leaning heavily on Annabeth. Argus followed us outside, but he kept his distance.

By the time we reached the porch, my face was beaded with sweat. My stomach had twisted into knots. But I had managed to make it all the way to the railing.

It was dusk. The camp looked completely deserted. The cabins were dark and the volleyball pit silent. No canoes cut the surface of the lake.

Beyond the woods and the strawberry fields, the Long Island Sound glittered in the last light of the sun.

''What are you going to do?'' Annabeth asked me.

I answered with a sigh "I do not know Wise Girl I do not know"'

I told her I got the feeling Chiron wanted me to stay year round, to put in more individual training time, but I was not sure that is what I wanted. I admitted I would feel bad about leaving her alone, though, with only Clarisse for company…

Annabeth pursed her lips, then said quietly, "I am going home for the year, Percy."

I stared at her. ''You mean, to your dad's?''

She pointed towards the crest of Half Blood Hill. Next to Thalia's pine tree, at the very edge of the camp's magical boundaries, a family stood silhouetted – two little children, a woman and a tall man with blond hair. They seemed to be waiting.

The man was holding a backpack that looked like the one

Annabeth had got from Waterland in Denver.

''I wrote him a letter when we got back,'' Annabeth said. ''Just like you suggested. I told him… I was sorry. I would come home for the school year if he still wanted me. He wrote back immediately. We decided… we'd give it another try.''

''That took guts.''

She pursed her lips. 'You will not try anything stupid during the school year, will you? At least… not without sending me an iris message?''

I managed a smile. "I will not go looking for trouble. I usually do not have to."

''When I get back next summer,'' she said, ''we will hunt down Luke. We will ask for a quest, but if we do not get approval, we will sneak off and do it anyway. Agreed?''

''Sounds like a plan worthy of Athena.'' I said with a smirk.

She held out her hand. I shook it.

''Take care, Seaweed Brain,'' Annabeth told me. ''keep your eyes open.''

''You too, Wise Girl.''

I watched her walk up the hill and join her family. She gave her father an awkward hug and looked back at the valley one last time.

She touched Thalia's pine tree, then allowed herself to be led over the crest and into the mortal world.

For the first time at camp, I felt truly alone. I looked out at Long Island Sound and I remembered my father saying, " _The sea does not like to be restrained."_

I made my decision.

I wondered, if Poseidon were watching, would he approve of my choice?

''I will be back next summer,'' I promised him. ''I will survive until then. After all, I am your son.''

I asked Argus to take me down to cabin three, so I could pack my bags for home…

When I got home Sally was there and she looked excited to see me.

We spoke for a few hours until I heard a knock on the door. I stood up and went to answer it, there stood Peter in his signature black Trench Coat, black Cargo Pants and black military steel toed combat boots.

Peter rubbed the back of his neck and said "I was wondering if your offer is still up Sally?"

I looked at my Mom and she smiled and said "Of course it is Peter!"

Peter smiled and said "Thank you."

I asked "What the Hades is going on?!"

Sally said "I offered Peter to live with us and maybe I could adopt him…"

I gave a smile, but I was unsure of _**WHAT**_ to think.

Peter said "I do not have to live with you two twenty four seven, but I need a place to stay from time to time, and besides. Percy you need to stay sharp otherwise you will get yourself killed."

Sally gave a nod and I said "Ok…"

Peter shrugged and said "I can see you do not like the idea Percy, sorry. I guess I will be going now…" He turned around and began to walk away

I said "Come here brother!"

He gave me a rare, warm smile. I knew then that maybe I could get Peter to open up…

I was going to have a brother I always wanted!

But there was a part of me that knew Peter would be like he was at camp, reclusive.

 **(Line Break)**

 **Peter's Point of View)**

I heard a voice say from behind us "I think I could help with that..."

We turned around and there stood Ares the god of War, with a bullet proof jacket signaling he was wearing his shield.

Percy asked "How can and why can you help us?"

I rolled his my and limped forward "Because we just stopped another war and because we gave him his shield back. He can help us by giving us a ride back, whether he flashes us…" I gave a mischievous grin and said "…Or he can let us ride his bike…"

Ares looked at me and said out of the blue "I have been watching you for a while."

I snorted and said "Yeah trouble tends to find me. I bet you enjoyed some of the fights. I bet Hephaestus TV got plenty of views watching my life."

Ares chuckled and said "Yes Hephaestus TV _**DID**_ get a lot of business."

I rolled my eyes and asked "Can we please get back to point?"

Ares said "Like I said I watched quite a bit of your life "

I sighed and said "If what my sister told me is true, my mom's brother, my uncle, fell in love with a daughter of Mars."

I saw for a brief moment I saw Mars, Ares's Roman counterpart flicker, before Ares took control again.

Ares gave me a nod.

I sighed and said "Can we talk later? My arm is killing me and we need to get the bolt across the continent in a few hours."

Ares said "Yes, but first you need to answer a few questions to the press." He said that part looking at me…

It is always funny how humans can wrap their mind around things and fit them into their version of reality. For an example: According to the L.A. news, the explosion at the Santa Monica beach had been caused when a crazy kidnapper fired a shotgun at a police car. He accidentally hit a gas main that had ruptured during the earthquake.

This crazy kidnapper (also known as Hercules) was the same man who had abducted me and three other adolescents in New York and brought us across country on a ten day odyssey of terror. Poor little Percy Jackson was not an international criminal, after all. He had caused a commotion on that Greyhound bus in New Jersey trying to get away from his captor (and afterwards, witnesses would even swear they had seen the leather clad man on the bus – ''Why did not I remember him before?'' The crazy man had caused the explosion in the St Louis Arch. After all, no kid could have done that. A concerned waitress in Denver had seen the man threatening his abductees outside her diner, gotten a friend to take a photo and notified the police. Finally, brave Percy Jackson (I was beginning to like this kid) had stolen a gun from his captor in Los Angeles and battled him shotgun to rifle on the beach. Police had arrived just in time. But in the spectacular explosion, five police cars had been destroyed and the captor had fled. No fatalities had occurred.

Percy Jackson and his three friends and his mother were safely in police custody.

The reporters fed us this whole story. We just nodded and acted tearful and exhausted (which was not hard), and played victimizes for the cameras.

''All I want,'' Percy said, choking back his fake tears, ''is to see my loving stepfather again. Every time I saw him on TV, calling me a delinquent punk, I knew… somehow… we would be okay. And I know he will want to reward each and every person in this beautiful city of Los Angeles with a free major appliance from his store. Here's the phone number…''

After a few hours of answering questions Ares decided it was enough. He placed a hand on my good shoulder; Percy placed a hand on my upper, Annabeth held hands with Percy, Grover on her and Percy's mom on Annabeth's shoulder.

Ares flashed us demigods (Percy and me) to Olympus it was the same as it always had been.

I chuckled at Percy who was thunder struck.

He was standing on a narrow stone walkway in the middle of the air. Below me was Manhattan, from the height of an airplane. White marble steps wound up the spine of a cloud, into the sky. His eyes followed the stairway to its end.

From the top of the clouds rose the decapitated peak of a mountain, its summit covered with snow. Clinging to the mountainside were dozens of multilevelled palaces a city of mansions all with white columned porticos, gilded terraces and bronze braziers glowing with a thousand fires.

Roads wound crazily up to the peak, where the largest palace gleamed against the snow.

Precariously perched gardens bloomed with olive trees and rosebushes. I could make out an open air market filled with colorful tents, a stone amphitheatre built on one side of the mountain, a hippodrome and a coliseum on the other. It was an Ancient Greek city, except it was not in ruins. It was new, and clean, and colorful, the way Athens must have looked twenty five hundred years ago.

Ares led our trip through Olympus was a daze. We passed some giggling wood nymphs who threw olives at Percy from their garden. Hawkers in the market offered to sell me ambrosia on a stick, and a new shield, and a genuine glitter weave replica of the Golden Fleece, as seen on Hephaestus TV The nine muses were tuning their instruments for a concert in the park while a small crowd gathered – satyrs and naiads and a bunch of good looking teenagers who were minor gods and goddesses.

Everybody seemed in a festive mood. Several of them turned to watch us pass, and whispered to themselves. I knew there was going to be a wild party here tonight…

We climbed the main road, towards the big palace at the peak. It was a reverse copy of the palace in the Underworld. There, everything had been black and bronze. Here, everything glittered white and silver.

The steps led up to a central courtyard. Past that, the throne room. _Room_ really is not the right word. The place made Grand Central Station look like a broom closet.

Massive columns rose to a domed ceiling, which was gilded with moving constellations.

Twelve thrones, built for beings the size of Hades, were arranged in an inverted U, just like the cabins at Camp Half Blood. An enormous fire crackled in the central hearth pit. All of the seats were occupied but one, but he walked towards his thrown, but with every step he grew in size. Each god and goddess was about five meters tall.

Percy came towards them, his legs trembling.

Zeus, the Lord of the Gods, wore a dark blue, pinstriped suit. He sat on a simple throne of solid platinum. He had a well trimmed beard, marbled grey and black like a storm cloud. His face was proud and handsome and grim, his eyes rainy grey.

Next to him sat a beautiful woman with silver hair braided over one shoulder and a dress that shimmered with colors like peacock feathers. The Lady Hera.

On Zeus's right, our _father_ Poseidon. Next to him, a huge lump of a man with a leg in a steel brace, a misshapen head and a wild brown beard, fire flickering through his whiskers. The Lord of the

Forges, Hephaestus.

Hermes was wearing a business suit today, checking messages on his caduceus cell phone.

Apollo leaned back in his golden throne with his shades on. He had iPod headphones on, but we were telepathically communicating with each other in short; he agreed to heal my arm, as far as he could.

Dionysus looked bored, twirling a grapevine between his fingers.

And Ares, well, he sat on his chrome and leather throne with a thoughtful expression as he looked at me, we were MM; Mind Messaging long story short; he want me to become a champion of War. I agreed because I knew I would need any and all excuses on why and how I became so good.

On the ladies' side of the throne room, a dark haired goddess in green robes sat next to Hera on a throne woven of apple tree branches. Demeter, Goddess of the Harvest.

Next to her sat a beautiful Grey Eyed woman in an elegant white dress. She could only be Annabeth's mother, Athena.

Then there was Aphrodite, she gave me a smile, it was one of a sister. I gave her a slight nod in return.

All the Olympians in one place. So much power in this room it was a miracle the whole palace did not blow apart.

I there analyzing everyone and everything. I sensed plausible danger, but nothing too strong or bad.

I could smell ozone from Zeus from where I stood, actually I could smell everyone; the sea, crop, metal, fire, home cooked meals, gun powder, soft pine Aarrttyy…

The gods were not moving or speaking, but there was tension in the air, as if they had just finished an argument.

Percy approached the fisherman's throne and knelt at his feet. "Father." He dared not look up.

To his left, Zeus spoke. ''Should you not address the master of this house first, boy?''

Zeus turned to me and thundered angrily "AND YOU DARE NOT BOW?!"

Percy kept his head down.

I said coldly "I bow to no _man_." He said man as if it left a bitter taste in his mouth. Peter continued "I will only show respect to those who have earned it."

Artemis could barely hold back a smirk for two reasons one I said "no **MAN** " and two and only if they gain my respect.

Ares looked at me and nodded as id he liked my guts.

I could smell ozone seething from Zeus, Zeus was golden with anger.

I snorted and said "Zeus? I _**AM**_ your grandson you know… just saying." I was ready to flip him off, but I was interrupted-

''Peace, brother,'' Poseidon finally spoke up. ''The boy defers to his father. This is only right.''

"What about the other… _**thing**_? You still claim him too then?' Zeus asked menacingly. ''You claim these children whom you sired against our sacred oath!?''

"I have admitted my wrongdoings," Poseidon said. "Now I would hear him speak."

Wrongdoings.

Despite the fact I know I do not belong here, it still hurts. I felt some of fatal flaws acting up, mostly Grudges. I had to fight it down, but I was unable to do it alone. Hestia gave me a soft smile of comfort from the fire. That helped eased the pain of rejection.

"I should have smitten you once you had the bolt in hand!" Zeus said with a growl.

''And risk destroying your own master bolt?'' Poseidon asked calmly. ''Let us hear him out, brother.''

Zeus grumbled some more. ''I shall listen,'' he decided. ''Then I shall make up my mind whether or not to cast this boy down from Olympus.''

''Perseus,'' Poseidon said. ''Look at me.''

Percy did what he was told. On Poseidon's face there was no clear sign of love or approval. Nothing to encourage either of us. It was like looking at the ocean: some days, you could tell what mood it was in. Most days, though, it was unreadable, mysterious.

I saw Hephaestus with a scowl on his face. I remember when Zeus threw him off, I was unable to catch him in time, but I was able to lessen his fall. Hera found us, maybe five minutes later. Hera is actually a good person, but she became bitter after being cheating on literally millions of lovers

Poseidon told Percy ''Address Lord Zeus, boy. Tell him your story."

So Percy told Zeus everything, just as it had happened. He took out the metal cylinder, which began sparking in the Sky Gods presence, and then Percy laid it at his feet.

There was a long silence, broken only by the crackle of the hearth fire.

Zeus opened his palm. The lightning bolt flew into it. As he closed his fist, the metallic points flared with electricity, until he was holding what looked more like the classic thunderbolt, a five meter javelin of arcing, hissing with energy.

''I sense the boy tells the truth,'' Zeus muttered. ''But that Hercules would do such a thing… it is most unlike him…''

''He is proud and impulsive,'' Poseidon said. ''It runs in the family.''

''Lord?'' Percy asked.

They both said, ''Yes?''

I could not help but to chuckle, I got a few eyes on me, I shrugged it off.

''Hercules did not act alone. Someone else – something else – came up with the idea.''

Percy described his dreams, and the feeling he had had on the beach, that momentary breath of evil that had seemed to stop the world and made Hercules back off from killing him.

''In the dreams,'' he said, ''the voice told me to bring the bolt to the Underworld. Hercules hinted that he had been having dreams, too. I think he was being used, just as I was, to start a war.''

''You are accusing Hades, after all?'' Zeus asked.

''No,'' Percy said. ''I mean, Lord Zeus, I have been in the presence of Hades. This feeling on the beach was different. It was the same thing I felt when I got close to that pit. That was the entrance to Tartarus, was not it? Something powerful and evil is stirring down there… something even older than the gods.''

The elder Olympians; Hera, Zeus, Demeter, Poseidon, and Hestia, they looked at each other.

There was almost a shouting match, but before it happened Zeus shot the master bolt at the ceiling quickly, ending the intense discussion in Ancient Greek. I only caught one word. _Father..._

Zeus held up his hand angrily. "We will speak of this no more." Then Zeus said. "I must go personally to purify this thunderbolt in the waters of Lemnos, to remove the human taint from its metal."

He rose and looked at Percy. His expression softened just a fraction of a degree. "You have done me a service, boy. Few heroes could have accomplished as much.''

There were a few murmurs

"I had help, sir," Percy said. "Grover Underwood and Annabeth Chase "

''To show you my thanks, I shall spare your life. I do not trust you, Perseus Jackson. I do not like what your arrival means for the future of Olympus. But for the sake of peace in the family, I shall let you live.''

Percy was confused but replied anyway ''Um… thank you, sir.''

Thunder shook the palace. With a blinding flash of lightning, Zeus was gone.

I used Zeus's dramatic exit to lightning travel to Apollo's Temple. It was made out of bright gold that looked like the sun. I simply walked in and sat down in one of the chairs and wait, I waited for about five seconds before he flashed in.

He gave me a grin bright as the sun and said "How is my old friend?"

I chuckled as I let the ice turn to water and the water to stream, revealing my mangled, flattened arm.

Apollo winced and said "This is one of the worst things I have seen…"

I sighed and said "And it hurts like it is too. Could you give me something to numb it?"

Apollo gave a nod and walked to the self and began to look through it muttering to himself. After a few minutes of searching he found a bottle and I caught it.

Apollo said "You know the drill; take it as needed, but not more than twelve milliliters."

He snapped his fingers and a gold cast appeared, I gave him a looked and he add silver to it, I harden the look so he made it half and half.

I gave a nod and said "Thanks Apollo. I have to meet up with Ares now…"

Apollo gave me a nod and flashed me to the outside of Ares's temple, it looked like he changed it up a bit, it looked more roman than it did way back in the day when he was wild and had a blood lust that was second to none.

The temple was red, but it was not the gory red that Ares Cabin was, it was more neat. He had all sorts of weapons, from tanks and airplanes to chariots in the courtyard.

I walked up to the massive, but it opened up to reveal Ares. He gave me a look over, he noticed the cast.

Ares said "You have excellent pain tolerance, and you are skilled."

I chuckled and said "Actually Percy was the one fighting most of the time."

Ares shook his head and said "I have been watching you for years-"

I gave a growl.

He said "Perhaps I should have phrased it differently, but the point is you are one of the best fighters I have ever seen."

I gave a nod and said "Ok, so what does me being your champion have to do with anything…"

He lead me into his temple and told me what it would mean, I knew the drill, so I was only half listening. I accepted his blessing. He also said that it would help me get along with his kids. I gave him a nod of respect before leaving.

I walked towards the hearth in the now empty thrown room. I stepped into the flames and fire traveled to my Adoptive mother's temple. I appeared outside of her door, I knocked and there was a few moments pause before it was opened.

So immediately pulled me in with a hug, I hugged her back and said "I missed you too…"

She and I began talking about my quest and how I received more of my memories. She smiled a warm smile and let me tell how everything, my anger on how Poseidon pretty called Percy and I a mistake, a wrongdoing!

She comforted me.

We spoke for a while before I stood up and gave her a bow; she gave me a playful scolding about me not having to bow.

I passed a fountain I pulled out a coin and tossed it into the fountain and asked "Iris, can you please show me Artemis, if she is not busy.."

Iris gave a small smile and said "Of course Peter."

I returned the smile.

A couple of seconds later Artemis shimmered into view. I gave her my troublemaker smirk and bowed to her and said "My lady…"

I heard her give a frustrated sigh that caused me to chuckle, I noticed my chuckle was deeper than normal I shrugged it off. When I looked up I saw Artemis had a light golden tint to his face.

She then said "It has been a long time…"

I could not help but to snort and say "That is pretty much exactly what Apollo said! Besides we saw each other a week or two before the quest." I smirked at her more golden face.

She began to stutter, I cut her off and said "I will visit you and the Hunt soon, very soon."

She smirked and said "Zoe is not very happy about you going on the quest and not sending us very many Iris Messages…"

I paled… I gave a nervous swallow and say "I was busy?"

Artemis grinned and said "Tell that to Zoe and to Phoebe…"

I think I paled so much I made Hades look tan… I think I should have visited them… I am so _**SCREWED**_!

Artemis saw my face and began to laugh at me I muttered "Sure laugh it up…" This caused her to laugh even harder. I chuckled and said "I will see you soon Moon Beam."

Artemis looked at me, but before she could do anything I cut off the Iris Message.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I made it just in time to see Percy and the rest of the gang to arrive.

We were the first heroes to return alive to Half Blood Hill since Luke, so of course everybody treated us as if we had won some reality TV contest.

According to camp tradition, we wore laurel wreaths to a big feast prepared in our honour, then led a procession down to the bonfire, where we got to burn the burial shrouds our cabins had made for us in our absence.

I refused and disappeared in the shadows.

Annabeth's shroud was so beautiful – grey silk with embroidered owls – Percy told her it seemed a shame not to bury her in it. She then punched him and told him to shut up.

Being the sons of Poseidon, Percy and I did not have any cabin mates, so the Ares cabin had volunteered to make our shroud.

They had taken an old bed sheet and painted smiley faces with X'ed out eyes around the border, and the word LOSERS painted really big in the middle.

It was fun to burn.

As Apollo's cabin led the sing along and passed out toasted marshmallows, Percy was surrounded by my old Hermes cabin mates, Annabeth's friends from Athena and Grover's satyr buddies, who were admiring the brand new searcher's license he had received from the Council of Cloven Elders.

The council had called Grover's performance on the quest ''Brave to the point of indigestion. Horns and whiskers above anything we have seen in the past.''

The Ares cabin and I looked at each other and we had new found respect for each other. I could tell Classie wanted to see how good I was in a fight.

Percy moved back into cabin three. Where did I go? I went to visit the Hunt and let's say there were not too happy that I hardly contacted them, but were overjoyed when I came so soon. I will probably have to tell you one day…

On the Fourth of July, the whole camp gathered at the beach for a fireworks display by cabin nine.

Being Hephaestus's kids, they were not going to settle for a few lame red white and blue explosions.

They had anchored a barge offshore and loaded it with rockets the size of Patriot missiles. According to Annabeth, who had seen the show before, the blasts would be sequenced so tightly they would look like frames of animation across the sky. The finale was supposed to be a couple of thirty meter tall Spartan warriors who would crackle to life above the ocean, fight a battle, and then explode into a million colors. Fireworks exploded to life overhead: Hercules killing the Nemean lion, Artemis chasing the boar, George Washington (who, by the way, was a son of Athena) crossing the Delaware.

I slowly distanced myself from camp, because I was slowly integrating back into the Hunt with the chores and my Wanderings. Sally even invited me to live with Percy and her. I had too many options!

Soon July was over and August had begun and the campgrounds were mostly deserted, shimmering in the August heat. All the campers were in their cabins packing up, or running around with brooms and mops, getting ready for final inspection.

Argus was helping some of the Aphrodite kids haul their Gucci suitcases and makeup kits over the hill where the camp's shuttle bus would be waiting to take them to the airport.

Once again I faded into the background and appeared back at the Hunt, in my own tent. It was pitch black, it was far smaller than the other hunters, but it made more portable and easier to find a place to place it.

Anyways I sensed a call for help, it came from the back of my mind, but I knew who it was immediately, it was Percy! And he was in danger!

I ran into the wall of my tent and shadow traveled towards where I sensed him, when I got there I saw he was near dead, his palm had a huge red welt, oozing and smoking with yellow guck.

I knew what it was right away, a Pit Scorpion. Its venom is only second by the Elder Pythons.

I dragged Percy back into the water, it would help slow down the venom. I began to use a combination of blood control and toxin control to pull out the venom.

I saw a couple of nymphs, I gave them orders and they got help, Chiron blew the horn.

I saw Percy closing his eyes, but I knew he would live now. I held a small green and black sphere in my hand, it was about the size of a BB.

I said to Chiron "Pit Scorpion. Luke betrayed us all."

I got Percy to the Big House where they fixed him up.

I told Chiron and Annabeth everything I knew and what I saw.

They gave me a nod.

I told them "I have to go. Tell Percy 'I am almost always an Iris Message away."

I shadowed traveled back to the Hunt, but I appeared in the campfire.

They were eating dinner I said in a grave tone "Artemis…"

She knew something was wrong, very wrong.

She gathered the Hunters around and I told them the tail, but this time I added what I remembered from reading the book.

Phoebe and Zoe began to rant about males and how they always mess things and hurt people.

I cleared my throat and said hurt "I am glad to know how you truly feel about me…" I turned to walk away, but Zoe lunged at me and said "Sorry, but you are the exception to the male species!"

I sighed and said "They are a few more, than me, but they are very far and few between. One of them is Percy Jackson…"

They nodded.

Artemis said "I have to tell father."

I said "You could, but I know Chiron will soon."

She gave a nod and sat down with the hunters.

I looked up at the moon and then back down at Artemis and the Hunt, I said "I have to blow some stream, beware. I will contact you in a day or so." I did not wait before I shadow traveled away.

I went to Alaska because that was the only place where I could let go…

Let's say I have not slept that good that night in a very, VERY long time.

 **(Line Break)**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

I returned to the Hunt after about two days and I had an earful when I got back.

Anyways I remembered an offer that Sally made me about moving in with them, I told her I would have to think about it.

I told the Hunt, some of them were happy that I actually got a friend (that was a man, because they are some things that only guys can do) others (Zoe, Artemis) were not very happy about me leaving.

I told them I would visit and that they could visit me when they wanted.

I said my goodbyes before I shadow traveled to Percy's and Sally's apartment.

I knocked on the door and I heard people moving, Percy answered the door. I looked down and I saw I was wearing my black Trench Coat, black Cargo Pants and black military steel toed combat boots.

I rubbed the back of his neck nervously and said "I was wondering if your offer is still up Sally?"

Percy looked at his Mom and she smiled and said "Of course it is Peter!"

I smiled gratefully and said "Thank you."

Percy asked "What the Hades is going on?!"

Sally said "I offered Peter to live with us and maybe I could adopt him…"

Percy gave a smile, but I could tell it was forced.

I told them "I do not have to live with you two twenty four seven, but I need a place to stay from time to time, and besides. Percy you need to stay sharp otherwise you will get yourself killed."

Sally gave a nod and I said "Ok…"

I shrugged and said "I can see you do not like the idea Percy, sorry. I guess I will be going now…" I turned around and began to walk away

Percy said "Come here brother!"

I gave him a rare, warm smile.

I hoped I could befriend him and have a true brother. I hope Percy will help me become who I truly am again.

0

 **0**

 **0**

 **Well here is the last chapter of this story!**

 **Yup the story is now complete! Is there a sequel coming? I really do not think so, at least not right. I might do a series of one shots as an interlude between the "Lightning Thief" and the "Sea of Monsters", but that is yet to be decided.**

 **So yeah, this was the longest and the quickest I got passed 100,000 words.**

 **Do you think I should move this story into the "crossover" section of Fanfiction?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer I do not own anything all rights go to Disney, Marvel, Stan Lee as well as Rick Riordan!**

 **Thank you to everyone who has left a review and who has support me and my story.**

 **Thank you to "** **Nobel Six** **" for your review: There should be, but with college and life...**

 **Author's Note: I noticed I was only about 3,300 words off of 200,000, I really wanted to get 200,000 word. So I chose to add one last chapter as an Epilogue, and to help begin the next story, should there be one.**

 **To answer a few questions that people have PMed me about:**

 **1\. Yes Peter WILL have ALL of his memory and most of his powers by the Sea of Monsters.**

 **2\. Yes Peter can rival a Primordial, and plausible defeat one on a one on one fight.**

 **3\. I was hoping for a Peter / Artemis paring, but that might not be the case...**

 **4\. Percy will be a bit more Out of Character in the next book (if there is a next book)**

 **5\. Peter CAN still die, though he is a tough one to get down.**

 **This story is over, the end is here...**

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **(Peter's Point of View)**

It has been a few months since I moved in with the Jacksons. Sally adopted me within the first two weeks, I mean legally not with the Mist. She of course refused to let me do so. Percy and I became brothers, I mean closer than brothers. I could sometimes read his mind, especially when we were in water. You see, Percy and I can speak telepathically to horses and creatures of the sea. I tried not to pry into his head, and he likewise did so to me.

At first Percy was afraid of me, and to be honest, I did not blame him at all. I mean I AM his age, but my nature is nearly opposite of his. He is calm, carefree, and playful. Me? I am usually; cold, serious, and grim, I was not paranoid, but I was tense always ready for a fight. Percy was lighthearted. Me? It was hard for me to even bare a small smile. Though over time, he got me to relax a bit and to smile more.

Though truth be told, Percy was only a part of my healing.

Sally allowed me to do my thing. She understood that I was use to my wandering and my traveling. I told her about me being able to shadow travel, so she allowed me to wandered as long as I check in at least once a week. The reason why this was important, at least to me, was because I was able to do what I wanted, and what I needed to do.

One of the first things I did was visit Artemis and her hunters.

Let's say after several arrows, a salt water bath, and more than a few slaps and kicks. I was dog piled.

They wanted to know why I took so long, so I told them about me being adopted. All of them were happy for me, though they did not like me not being able to stay with them…

 **(Flash Back)  
(Peter's Point of View)**

 _I shadow traveled to where I sensed Artemis. Of course I shadow travel about a hundred yards away so that I did not just appear in their midst._

 _So I walked in rather noisily, it made me cringe at how loud I was walking, I was so use to being silent that even stepping on dry leaves sounded like gun shout and a twig thunder. I knew they heard me. I called out to them and said "Hold fire!"_

 _They knew right away who it was. I was the only one, who was a male, other than Apollo, and Hermes (when he was forced to carry a message to them) to dare go near them._

 _I walked out into the middle of the camp, the fire was blazing merrily. I smiled at the cheerful flame. I shut my eyes and reminisced my past life with the Hunt. I could remember when I first suggested the idea to Artemis back on the island Delos. I chuckled when her eyes lit up like the sun. She fell in love with the idea immediately._

 _I remember helping her found the hunt. I helped build it, if Artemis was the sister of the Hunt than I was the brother, if she was the mother, than I was the father._

 _Artemis and I lived in the Hunt with her hunters for a few centuries, before I had to leave, but of course I did not leave her in the night, I had to die..._

 _I was killed protecting Phoebe, on my dying breathe she told me she loved me, I told her I loved her as well. I told her we would meet again, I would go for rebirth as soon as I could. She placed me in the stars, though that made it hard for me to go for rebirth, but not impossible_

 _I was gone for a roughly a century when Orion the so called son of Poseidon turned up. He was nothing but trouble, Apollo tried to warn her, but she thought it was me, I wonder how she thought that? I have always had either blue or red eyes, sometimes yellow or orange. She refused to listen to him, I arrived just in time to stop him from raping one of the huntresses. He had his pants down to his ankle when I threw a spear that hit him in the torso, it missed all of his vitals, but it was stuck in his chest. I snapped my fingers and the girl was clothed in shadows._

 _She ran to me and cried on me, I let my anger lower to a simmer where I comforted her, it was then I realized it was Phoebe. I held her close and rocked her back and forth until she stopped sobbing and hiccupping. I was going to kill him right then and there, but I did not, I opened a portal of darkness and teleported Phoebe to the infirmary tent with a letter from me explaining what I saw._

 _I grabbed Orion by the throat and lightning traveled to where Olympus was at that age._

 _I appeared in the middle of the throne room. I stomped my foot as hard as I could, the whole mountain shook._

 _Moments later the twelve Olympians stood in the armor ready for battle._

 _I threw Orion at the feet of the council and said with my voice full of rage, and anger, my tone was cold and dark "I caught this man in the act of rape. I found him with his pants down_ **(Where did you think that saying came from?)** _about to have his way with_ _Phoebe. This_ _bastard_ _is the son of Poseidon."_

 _Poseidon looked at his man at his feet and said coldly "He is no son of mine."_

 _Orion looked at him and whispered "Father…"_

 _Artemis looked at Orion with nothing but anger and hatred. I saw that she had guilt in her face._

 _I gave her a brief warm smile, she smiled back before looked at the_ _thing_ _before us._

 _Zeus said "How do you plead."_

 _Orion said "I am not guilty"_

 _Apollo said "He lied."_

 _Orion said quickly "Apollo never liked me!"_

 _Zeus looked at the two and said "That is true Apollo. You have always hated him."_

 _I stepped forward and said "I saw what he was going to do. You can even ask the victim."_

 _Zeus glared at me and thundered "Who are you!"_

 _I rolled my eyes and said "I am one who seeks justice."_

 _Zeus growled and said "You have not answered my question…"_

 _I growled and said "I am the Wanderer."_

 _Zeus's face paled slightly as he remembers everything I did. I was the one who helped found Olympus. I was the one that often lead the fight against the Titians._

 _I calmly said "Justice must be served."_

 _Zeus look at Orion and then Poseidon_

 _Poseidon gave a nod and said "Since the offence was against you Artemis, you may do whatever you see fit."_

 _Artemis gave Orion a wicked, cruel, evil smile. It made me afraid, I had nightmares for decades after that…_

 _What became of Orion?_

 _Long story short, he was tortured and was killed. He vowed vengeance. I knew he would try…_

 _ **(Line Break)  
(End of Flash Back)**_

I was broke out of my musing when I was hit in the groin by a blunted arrow, then I was hit with several dozen, none were lethal, but it still hurt like heck!

After about five minute and when I was mostly purple did they stop, they dumped a bucket of water on me. They had sea water already in a tub for me. I climbed in, trench coat and all. I was healed in a few minutes. I climbed out and walked out of the infirmary tent, to be met with a series of slaps. After pretty much everyone had their slap in, I was dog piled.

I was laughing when they finally got off I said "I missed you too." I sat up and I heard my back pop. I asked "Where is Arty?"

A flash of silver light appeared behind me.

I turned around and saw Artemis in her adult form, I chuckled and said "Hello Milady…"

She rushed over to me and gave me a slap, a slap so hard I was tossed to the ground, from there I muttered "Should have saw that coming."

She stood there above me with her hands on her hips. I smiled weakly and said "I missed you Moon Beam."

She tried to glare, but she could not, she helped me to my feet and gave me a crushing hug. I returned it the best I could.

She whispered "Please stay…"

I told her everything. She was not very happy about the fact I was going to be unable to stay with them. But she was glad I could be a good influence on the _boy_. I rolled my eyes and said "Percy _**IS**_ one of the few people who I can respect, and you know how I respect."

She chuckled and said with a snort "You respect no one!"

I arched my eye brow at Arty, she sighed and said "Fine, to very few people."

I smirked and said "At least you are the one who gets the most…"

She rolled her eyes.

I chuckled as I stared up at the night sky; whole constellations were lost due to light pollution from the cities.

Zoe looked up and gave a sigh.

Soon everyone was looking up.

I sat down and focused my powers over the night stay and over the constellations. I made them brighter, bright enough to be seen through the light pollution. I decided to add a dramatic flair, I added the aurora borealis but it is most commonly known as the northern lights. The glow of green, blue, pink, purple, and many other colors danced along the night sky, I was going wary, but I decided one last trick, I made a few shooting stars streak across the night sky.

I looked at the faces of the hunter and of Artemis, they were loving it, too bad it was really draining. I closed my eyes and fell into unconsciousness.

I woke up some time later.

I woke up being snuggled with, by Artemis was using my right side of my chest as a pillow. Zoe was snuggling with me, using my left shoulder, her legs were wrapped around me, as if to trap me.

I gave a content sigh as I closed my eyes, soon I began to fall back to sleep, though I noticed a soft rumble…

 **(Line Break)  
(Third Person Point of View)**

Peter fell asleep; he began to purr in his sleep perfectly content.

The next morning Peter felt people stirring around him, normally he would be the first one up, but today he was exhausted from the night work show and he was very happy with Artemis in his arms, though he would not dare go much further than this till after there was peace. As of now both Artemis never _**knew**_ a man **(** **meaning so never had sex** **)** though she broke her _hymen_ _when she was in a fight during the first Giant War._

 _Peter was purring in his sleep as Zoe and Artemis rested at his sides. He cared for both of them deeply, but he knew he should only have one, that was what he was taught, even in his own world. One man and one women, till death do you part._

 _Artemis and Zoe woke up first. They saw the other and they looked down and saw a purring Peter._

 _Artemis looked at Zoe with a smirk, Zoe smirked back and gave a nod._

 _Artemis began to whisper in Peter's ear, Zoe began to whisper in his other ear._

 _Peter's eyes snapped open. As he shot up right._

 _He looked around and saw he and everyone else were fine._

 _Peter said with a groan "Please do not_ _ _ever__ _do that again!"_

 _Artemis smirked "Nope!" She popped the "P"._

 _Peter sighed and said "I am up now, anything you want to eat?"_

 _Artemis shrugged._

Zoe asked "Could you give us some-"

Peter chuckled and said "You want to be spoiled."

Zoe blushed but nodded her head.

Peter rolled his eyes and said with a warm, kind smile "Zoe you are my favorite huntress second to _**THE**_ Huntress."

The two females blushed.

Peter chuckled, he looked down at himself before snapping his fingers, he traded his trench coat for a black cloak. Peter just used the blessing of Venus and Aphrodite, he usually does not use her blessing, but it can be useful.

Artemis said with a chuckle "You look like The Grim Reaper."

Peter smirked as he used the Mist to make his arms look like bones; he summoned a Stygian Iron scythe, as he let out his darker aura. Zoe took a step back and swallowed nervously. Artemis said nervously "Now you really do…" Artemis would never admit it, but she was afraid right now, Peter was manipulating the Mist so strongly that she thought he was actually bone ( **Maybe it was…** ).

Peter stopped it shortly after and quickly apologized.

Zoe muttered "I remember why we all agreed not to prank you."

Peter chuckled then said "Zoe, you girls did it because one; they never worked on me, you know, my spider sense? Two; if you do, my instincts is to self preservation, attack first ask questions later. Three; you all do care for me, that and you love me."

Zoe turned a new shade of red and began to stutter.

Artemis chuckled and said "Peter…"

Peter rolled his eyes and said "Fine, I will make breakfast now." He walked out of the tent and went to the tent that held the food and other cooking supplies. Just because Peter can just will a banquet to appear does not mean he does it, well very often. He prefers to cook his own food, as well as hunt his own food. Anyways Peter realized he was short of several things and he knew he did not have the time to go to the store shop, and wait in line. So he had to summon the food, but at least the food was here quickly.

Peter gave a loud whistle that woke up most of the Hunt. When they smelled and saw the food, Peter had to jump up a tree to get out of the stampede. Peter muttered "It is good to see you too…"

He dropped once the hunters began to eat. Zoe and Artemis walked out just in time to see Peter drop from the tree. They saw the food and quickly rushed to get a bite before it was gone.

Peter took a step away from the table, but an arrow landed about an inch away from his foot, he knew it was shot by Phoebe. Phoebe asked "Where do you think you are going?"

Peter chuckled and shook his head "I guess I could stick around for a couple days…" He walked over to the table, there was a spot next to Artemis. Peter sat in it, but he felt something nearly tackle him to the ground, he went with it not wanting to hurt whoever it was.

It was Brooke.

Peter chuckled and said "I missed you too Brooke." Peter said as he stroked her hair. Peter hoisted her up and set her on his lap as he began to munch on some food. The hunters were talking about different things ranging from the most recent hunt, to a hunt that they were look forward to, to the past, to the thoughts of the upcoming war…

Peter and Artemis spent the next day and a half together, as if glued at the hips. Zoe was often with them but she had to run the hunt, though Peter was there and was helping a bit by sharpening a few (thousands) arrows. He cooked meals, though he had some help.

Soon it was time for Peter to check back with Sally he told them he would visit them again, mostly likely on the New Moon, when Artemis had the night off.

 **(Line Break)  
**

Peter shadow traveled back to Sally's apartment.

He arrived in the early in the evening just when Artemis had to do her chariot duty, though her Roman counterpart usually did that. When Peter got home no one was home yet, so he decided that he would go ahead a make diner, he looked in to the pantry and in the cupboards and found enough ingredients to make beef stroganoff and chicken alfredo.

Sally and Percy came home just as he was setting the table.

Percy's eyes went wide and drool ran off his face like a river.

Sally went wide eyed in shock.

Peter looked at them with a smirk as he said "What? You thought I would not come back? Or did you forget I could cook? I was only gone for maybe three days."

Percy said nothing as he ran to his place at the table and began to scarf down his food in record time.

Peter chuckled and said to Sally "I came home both a little later than I thought and a little early so I chose to cook a little diner."

Sally got over her shock as she walked over to the table, she sat down. She put on bite of food into her mouth and she almost began going like her son.

In speaking of Percy….

Percy began eating out of the chicken alfredo straight out of the pot.

Peter frowned and said "I like chicken alfredo too…."

Sally loved both the dishes.

Peter gave a yawn.

Sally said to Peter "Are you going to eat Peter?"

Peter sighed and said "I am not hungry, if it is ok with you, I would like to go to bed now."

She gave Peter a nod, and Peter walked into the shared room that he shared with Percy. As much as Peter wanted a room to himself, he felt the need to protect Percy.

Peter flopped on his bed and closed his eyes, as he fell into a deep slumber…

 **(Line Break)**

The rest of the school year went like this, he spent most nights and at least the weekends with the Hunt and Artemis. He lived with Percy and Sally. He went to school only a couple times a week on the days when the tests were. He aced them so Goode High could not complain. He spent once a week alone as he began to break seals and began to unlock blocked powers and memories.

He spent a hour or two most days to train Percy, they stopped training in the house when Percy broke something… So Peter trained Percy when he was out i.e. when they were in central park. He made Percy practice Riptide and his water powers, he taught Percy some wrestling moves and some martial arts.

Percy would be ready for his quest, for this war.

They grew closer and closer, they began to rub off on each other.

Peter taught Percy to be aware of his surroundings and to trust his instincts and to never doubt them.

Percy taught Peter to relax a little and to joke a bit, though once again, Percy played a part in that.

Percy and Peter were nearly inseparable.

 **0**

 **0**

 **0**

 **Yup here is the End!**

 **To answer any question that you might have regarding this chapter:**

 **1\. Peter traveled between the Hunt and Sally's apartment. He DID visit Camp Half Blood a couple times and he became** **acquaintances and maybe even friends** **with Katie Gardner, Clarisse La Rue (and most of the Ares Cabin), Silena Beauregard, Charles Beckendorf (A lot of the** **Hephaestus Cabin)**

 **2\. Yes Peter skipped school while he made Percy go to school.**

 **3\. Peter did change from always trench coats, to compromising for hoodies (sometimes). He had the "Bad Boy" look down. He made Percy look like a good kid.**

 **4\. Percy will be more powerful and a little more serious than in canon, and Peter will be more like he should be; a little more open, and a quick wit.**

 **5\. Some people will die and others will live, there will be traitors, though they might not be who you expect. expect the _"Unexpected"!_**

 **Well that is a wrap!**

 **This story is over officially!**

 **Please leave a review and or PM me if you have any ideas on how to start the next story or if you have any of your own unique idea you would like to see implemented in the sequel.**

 **One last thing, please check out my profile and take a look at the other stories!**

 **Death Fury signing off!**


	17. New Story!

**I have a new story that is a loose spin off of this story, it is called "** _The Untamable_ **".**

 **Instead of Spider Man being blessed by the Norse gods and being from another Multiverse, Universe, World, Reality.**

 **Peter is born of Arachne and a demigod son of Athena as an act of revenge against Athena by raping her favorite son.**

 **He was trained to be a weapon against the gods, but the plan backfired and now it is up to Peter to become a monster, or to be a hero... or is there a middle path to be traveled?...**

 **Here is a short summary:**

 _I've been called a monstrosity. I should have never been born. I've been called a Demon! What am I? A son of a cursed one. I was beaten and abused. I was starved and tortured. Yet I have remained unbroken and wild I was untamable like the ocean and the sea. Not Even the Fates foresaw me coming and even they cannot control me I truly am Untamable or so I thought..._

 **Here is a sneak peak at the first chapter:**

I am a monstrosity.

I should have never been born.

I am a **monster!**

What am I?

A child of a cursed one.

Before I go one let me tell you a few things let me explain a few things to you; the Greek gods are real, the Titians are real as are the Primordial. All of the Greek and all of Roman mythology is real, that includes all the monsters such as Medusa, the Minotaur (the half man half bull) and the Manticore.

I am the only demi son of Arachne.

Yes Arachne the girl who was cursed by Athena because she lost a weaving contest and was too proud to admit it so she cursed my mother. Arachne caught a son of Athena and decided she was going to torture him but instead of killing him slowly like she did in the past well, she got me. She ate him shortly after she used him.

I was blessed by Khione and Oceanus because I was going be used as a weapon against the gods.

But they forgot one thing; my fatal flaws. One of which is grudges.

I would never side with the titans or monsters as long as I live at least those two. I do not care if it kills me!

I was beaten and abused.

I was starved and tortured.

But I remained unbroken and wild.

I was _untamable_ like the ocean and the sea.

After about five years or was it seven years? When you live underground it is hard to tell time, all I know is that after some time I escaped with nothing more than the clothes on my back, my weapons and a strong desire for revenge.

* * *

 **(Line Break)**

* * *

I forget my name didn't I?

No I did not she never bothered to name me no one did, but that is ok. I named myself after two people, one real and one fake. Peter Perseus. Perseus because he had the greatest of luck and because he had a long, happy life, but also because of what the name means. The name Perseus means; "Destroyer" or "To Destroy". And I chose Peter for two reasons one reason was because the name means; "Stone" or "Set in stone" and the other because I liked it. I was set in stone to destroy, that was how I decipher my name.

I lived on the streets for while, but that does not mean I was without education. I could speak, read and write in; Greek, Latin, English and in French courtesy of Khione.

Because I was a legacy of Athena so I was a brainiac and a genius I exceled in science so academics was not an issue for me.

I do not have ADHD or dyslexia because I am not a demigod. Monster do not attack me because I smell like one of them and their allies, but nothing could be further from the truth. I was nothing like them or my mother!

After living on the streets for a few years, I remember looking into a small fire feeling depressed wishing for family (beside spiders!) out of the flames stepped a little girl about eight or nine years old! I was shocked, but I knew who she was, she was Hestia goddess of hope, home, hearth, and family. The first born of Kronos and Rhea, the most powerful of the Olympians!

I had a bloody knife in my hand that I was using to cut myself immediately dropped because I was shocked. I looked at her in the eyes, hoping she would put an end to my miserable existence, but instead she wrapped me in a warm embrace. At first I flinched not use to have contact and the contact I usually had was very painful or cruel to me. But I quickly melted into her warm gentle embrace.

She held me and rocked me back and forth as she whispered soothing things in my ears. I did not cry, not at first. But she slowly thawed my heart of ice until I was crying a river.

Hestia saved me then from becoming what I never wanted to be, she saved me from being a monster.

She adopted me and I became her champion and I became her son.

She healed me and my wounds healed and even some of the scars faded.

However she brought me to one of her brothers, she wanted one of them to also adopt me, I was not sure who she meant by I knew my life would never be the same again.

She placed a hand on my should and flames surrounded us, at first I flinched because fire has always hurt a lot in the past, but this time I felt warmth and hope.

The next thing I knew I saw a large man who looked down at me he said "I am ..."

 **The Sneak Peak is over!**

 **Please check out the story!**

 **It is called "** _The Untamable **"**_

 **Please check the story out, you can find it on my profile page "Death Fury"**


	18. New Story Alert

**I am back! Did you miss me?**

 **Ok whatever anyways...**

 **I have began (another) story, it is yet another "Unexpected" story so Peter Perseus Parker and Spider Demon will be in the story.**

 **The title is: _An Unexpected Tale in a Galaxy Far Far Away_**

 **I would like it if you all could take a look at it.**

 **If you could not guess what crossover or what fandom this story belongs to, it belongs in: Star Wars.**

 **I am not too sure on where to go from the first chapter, I was able to bring Peter into the world, and bring Darth Vader I mean Anakin Skywalker from Return of the Jedi back to the past... I am not sure _*WHEN*_ or _*WHERE*_ to begin, to truly the story...**

 **I was hoping one, any, all of you would have an idea or a suggestion.**

 **Death Fury signing off for the time being, until next time.**


End file.
